THEIRSHADOWS 

BEFORE-^Paulme 

Carritifiton-Bouve- 


LIBRARY 

I    UNIVERSITY  Of 
\CAIIFORNIA 


THEIR  SHADOWS  BEFORE 


THEIR 
SHADOWS  BEFORE 

A  Story  of 
The  Southampton  Insurrection 

By 
Pauline  Carrington  Bouve 


SCIKE 
SCIENDVM 


BOSTON 

SMALL,  MAYNARD  &  COMPANY 
1899 


Copyright,  1899,  by 
Small,  Maynard  £sf  Company 

{Incorporated} 


Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall 


LOAN  STACK 


Press  of  George  H.  Ellis,  Boston,   U.S. A. 


TO 
FRANCES    GEORGIANA    PRESCOTT    BELKNAP 

THIS   BOOK   IS   AFFECTIONATELY   INSCRIBED 


081 


Chapter  I. 

"T  TNCLE   ISHAM,   would  you  like  to 

\^J  be  white  like  me?  " 

I  was  sitting  in  one  of  the  broad-silled 
windows  of  the  old  stone  kitchen  at  Wins 
ton  Manor.  Through  the  tiny,  diamond- 
shaped  panes  of  glass  I  could  watch  the 
pompous  movements  of  my  grandmother's 
pea-fowls  as  they  marched  with  out-spread 
tails  and  in  stately  measure  over  the  green 
sward,  where  the  early  hoar-frost  lay  like  a 
silver  veil.  In  colonial  days  the  manor 
kitchen  had  served  as  magistrate's  office, 
and  the  time-blackened  oaken  presses  on 
either  side  of  the  enormous  chimney  were 
now  used  as  dressers.  Bits  of  broken  crock 
ery  were  visible  through  the  circular  open 
ings  of  the  ancient  pigeon-holes  where  once 
had  reposed  valuable  documents,  written 
and  signed  by  lordly  fingers. 

On  the  high-backed,  uncomfortable  set 
tee  in  the  corner  —  where  of  old  my  great- 


4         Their  Shadows  Before 

grandfather,  Sir  Christopher  Winston,  had 
sat,  dispensing  favour  and  administering 
justice  —  sat  old  Uncle  Isham,  with  his 
bowl  of  coffee  beside  him  and  his  ash-cake 
on  his  knee.  I  gazed  down  into  his 
wrinkled  face  from  my  high  perch  in  the 
window,  and  in  a  vague  sort  of  way  my 
heart  was  troubled.  He  was  a  very  old 
man,  and  I  was  a  very  little  girl;  yet  he 
belonged  to  me.  There  was  something 
strange  in  the  situation. 

"Why  won't  you  tell  me?  "  I  persisted, 
unaccustomed  to  this  reserve  on  the  part  of 
my  usually  voluble  vassal  and  friend.  With 
an  imperious  gesture  of  my  small  hands  I 
smoothed  down  the  folds  of  my  new  black 
silk  apron  over  my  scarlet  frock,  while  my 
impatient  heels  beat  such  a  vigorous  tattoo 
upon  the  wall  that  Uncle  Isham  found  it  ex 
pedient  to  remove  himself  and  his  coffee  to 
the  other  end  of  the  settee  in  order  to  escape 
the  shower  of  plaster  that  made  a  mimic 
snow-storm  in  my  immediate  vicinity. 


Their  Shadows  Before         5 

"Missy  done  axed  me  a  hard  question," 
said  the  old  man,  slowly,  as  he  set  his  bowl 
down  carefully  and  whipped  away  the  bits 
of  broken  plaster  with  a  corner  of  his  ban 
danna. 

"Do  de  can'le-bug  what  fly  aroun'  in  de 
summer  evenin'  wanter  be  one  uv  de  big, 
shinin'  stars  in  de  sky?  " 

"Oh,  yes,  but  the  candle-bug  can't  think, 
you  know :  you  are  a  person,  you  see, "  I  re 
joined  with  superior  wisdom.  "Being  a 
person  makes  it  different  with  you,  of 
course. ' ' 

Uncle  Isham  gave  me  a  searching  glance 
from  between  his  half -shut  eyelids,  and 
nodded  his  head  several  times.  These 
sapient,  gentle  nods  suggested  a  happy  com 
bination  of  deference  and  decision. 

"Missy,"  he  said  with  lenient  delibera 
tion,  "you  is  a  mighty  smart  chile,  I  s'pec' ; 
but  some  kinder  things  is  clean  pas'  de 
jedgment  uv  chillun  an9  grown  folks.  All 
de  diffrunce  eber  I  see  'tween  de  can'le-bug 


6         Their  Shadows  Before 

an'  de  nigger  is  dat  de  can'le-bug  fly  whar- 
eber  he  wanter  go,  an'  de  nigger  cayn't. 
No,  honey,  er  nigger  slave  ain't  no  pusson, 
de  way  I  looks  at  it. ' ' 

"Not  a  person?  Why,  don't  you  know 
you  have  a  soul  ?  "  I  asked  in  astonishment. 

"I  know  I  got  feet  an'  han's,  an'  er  hade 
jes'  like  yourn;  but  dey's  black,"  said  the 
old  man,  as  he  spread  out  his  shrivelled 
brown  hands  upon  his  rheumatic  knees. 
"Mebbede  soul  what  I  got  matches  'em," 
he  proceeded  reflectively,  a  half-humourous 
smile  playing  over  his  wrinkled  face,  like  a 
touch  of  sunshine  on  a  withered  autumn 
leaf. 

"No,  no!"  I  explained  anxiously. 
"God's  souls  are  all  white  till  they  get 
themselves,  or  the  Devil  gets  them,  dirty." 

"Amen,  honey,"  was  the  fervent  re 
sponse  to  this  observation.  In  our  various 
and  usually  long  conversations  upon  sub 
jects  philosophical,  political,  and  theologi 
cal,  or,  when  in  lighter  vein,  topics  of  more 


Their  Shadows  Before          7 

general  interest  were  under  discussion,  this 
formula  of  assent  had  become  familiar  to 
my  ears. 

"Amen!  Amen!"  he  continued  to  re 
peat  between  the  audible  gulps  and  gur 
glings  that  proclaimed  the  downward  course 
of  the  comforting  but  fast  diminishing  con 
tents  of  the  blue  china  bowl  which  he  held 
to  his  lips.  As  he  proceeded  to  the  com 
pletion  of  his  breakfast  with  more  than 
usual  deliberation,  I  became  convinced  that 
he  was  curiously  indifferent  upon  a  subject 
I  conceived  ought  to  be  of  great  interest  to 
him.  I  was  disappointed  in  this  indiffer 
ence,  but  I  determined  to  probe  Uncle 
Isham's  feelings  in  another  quarter. 

"Did  you  ever  hate  white  people?"  I 
asked  calmly. 

"Moses  an'  Aaron!"  ejaculated  Uncle 
Isham,  in  unfeigned  amazement.  He  cast 
a  furtive,  distrustful  glance  around  the 
room.  "Who  done  put  sech  notions  in  yo' 
hade,  honey?  " 


8          Their  Shadows  Before 

' 'Nobody.  I  was  just  thinking  perhaps 
sometimes  you  couldn't  help  hating  us  a 
little." 

"Dem  ain't  de  right  kinder  thoughts  fer 
er  HT  lady  like  you  an'  er  po'  ole  nigger 
like  me,"  he  replied  in  an  odd,  troubled 
tone. 

"I  wouldn't  blame  you  if  you  did,"  I 
said  with  fine  candour.  "If  I  were  a  slave, 
I  would  hate  my  master.  Even  if  he  were 
good  to  me,  still,  I  think  I  would  hate, 
yes,  hate  him.  I  could  not  help  it." 

"You  is  er  cu'yus  chile,  er  mighty  cu'yus 
chile,"  said  Uncle  Isham,  eyeing  me  sus 
piciously.  "I  ain't  neber  seed  one  befo' 
like  you. " 

"I  don't  want  to  be, —  curious,  I  mean," 
I  rejoined  humbly.  "I  can't  help  it,  be 
cause  I  don't  know  when  I'm  going  to  be 
that  way.  Perhaps  it  is  because  I  think  a 
good  deal  about  fairies  and  witches. ' ' 

"Ain't  no  sech, "  was  the  positive  re 
joinder.  I  fancied  that  he  looked  relieved 


Their  Shadows  Before         9 

now  that  we  were  getting  into  a  less  per 
sonal  phase. 

"Dat's  what  mek  people  go  crazy,  sech 
tales  as  dem.  Read  de  Good  Book,  Missy, 

—  read  de  Good  Book. ' ' 

"The  Bible,  you  mean.  Oh,  that's  just 
full  of  wizards  and  witches  and  soothsayers, 

—  like  conjurers  and  Voodoos,   you  know; 
and   Revelations   is   like  fairy  tales  a  good 
deal,  only  it  is  so  very  scary!     I  don't  want 
to  go  anywhere  where   I   shall   see  locusts 
with  hair  like  women,  and  things  with  three 
or  four  heads,  do  you  ? ' ' 

Uncle  Isham  pondered  deeply  over  this 
query.  He  did  not  wish  to  commit  himself 
hastily. 

"Which  one  uv  dem  wuz  it  seen  dem?  " 
he  inquired  cautiously. 

"Saint  John  the  Baptist,"  I  promptly  re 
plied,  in  the  pride  of  knowledge,  perceiving 
with  satisfaction  the  impression  my  Script 
ural  erudition  had  produced. 

"Dat's   so.      Amen    an'   bless    de    Lord! 


io        Their  Shadows  Before 

But  he  went  up  inter  de  highest  place, 
clean  up  ter  de  Sebenth  Heben ;  an'  we 
ain't  gwine  ter  git  dat  fur,  I  reckin." 

"Oh,"  I  said,  "I  had  not  thought  about 
that."  This  simple  and  cogent  reasoning 
had  overwhelmed  me;  but  Uncle  Isham's 
tongue  seemed  suddenly  to  be  loosened,  and 
he  continued,— 

"When  de  seben  seals  is  loosed  in  de 
gret  day,  when  the  chain  uv  de  bondman  is 
broke  by  de  ban'  uv  de  Lord,  den  'twill  be 
Glory,  Glory,  Glory!" 

His  dusky  features  were  illumined  by  the 
glow  of  intense  emotion  as  he  spoke.  "But 
fill  de  gret  day,  it's  wuk  an'  wait,  wuk  and 
wait."  His  voice  sank  into  a  monotone  as 
he  muttered  these  last  words  to  himself,  and 
he  folded  his  toil-worn  palms  together  across 
his  knees.  There  was  the  suggestion  of  an 
infinite  patience  —  a  patience  that  was  pa 
thetic —  in  the  attitude  of  those  folded 
hands. 

"You    don't    have    to    work    now,    Uncle 


Their  Shadows  Before        1 1 

Isham, ' '  I  said  in  an  unsteady  voice. 
"And  you  never  will  have  to  again.  Now 
listen  to  me."  I  dropped  down  from  the 
window-ledge,  and  stood  directly  in  front  of 
him.  "As  soon  as  I  come  of  age,  I  will 
set  you  free.  I  do  not  want  you  to  belong 
to  me.  I  tell  you  I  will  set  you  free  for 
ever  and  ever.  See,  I  swear  it,  in  the  name 
of  the  Father  and  the  Son  and  the  Holy 
Ghost."  And  I  made  the  sign  of  the  cross 
upon  the  old  man's  face,  just  as  I  had  seen 
the  minister  do  in  the  baptismal  service. 

"Amen!"  said  Uncle  Isham;  but  his 
voice  was  almost  a  whisper. 

Thus  was  my  childish  vow  made  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  traced  upon  the 
face  of  his  child,  —  a  marred,  blurred,  dark 
ened  likeness,  yet  made  in  his  own  image. 


Chapter  II. 

"TT)ENELOPE,  I  have  something  to  say 

JT  to  you,"  said  my  grandmother  to 
me  the  morning  after  my  conversation  with 
Uncle  Isham. 

I  hastily  cast  over  in  my  mind  all  of  my 
late  sins  of  omission  and  commission,  as 
with  trembling  fingers  I  put  the  last  stitch 
into  the  "P"  on  my  sampler.  Now  it  was 
not  usual  for  my  grandmother  to  confer  with 
me  after  this  manner,  so  I  waited  in  some 
perturbation  to  hear  what  she  would  say. 

"Your  grandfather  thinks  it  quite  time 
you  should  begin  a  regular  course  of  in 
struction.  He  does  not  approve  this  habit 
you  have  fallen  into  of  reading  all  sorts  of 
books  and  following  your  own  whims  so  en 
tirely.  He  has  engaged  a  teacher  for  you, 
who  will  probably  arrive  on  this  evening's 
coach  from  Richmond." 

Amazement,  chagrin,  and,  beyond  all 
other  emotions,  a  stifling  sense  of  injustice 


Their  Shadows  Before        13 

kept  me  silent  after  this  startling  announce 
ment.  The  tones  of  her  voice  were  as  calm 
and  the  click  of  her  knitting-needles  as 
even  and  regular  as  though  she  had  told  me 
the  most  commonplace  fact  in  the  world, 
while  my  heart  was  fairly  bursting  with 
suppressed  rage  and  grief. 

No  word  of  warning  had  been  vouchsafed 
me;  no  opportunity  given  me  to  con  over 
the  lessons  and  tasks  so  detested,  and,  alas ! 
so  neglected.  In  an  agony  of  anticipated 
humiliation,  I  reflected  bitterly  that  I  could 
not  get  through  with  a  single  line  of  the 
multiplication  table  perfectly,  and  that  any 
attempt  at  conjugations  or  declensions  would 
be  fatal  to  my  reputation  as  a  student. 
There  was  no  loophole  of  escape.  I  should 
be  examined  and  disgraced ! 

Unmindful  of  these  painful  reflections 
that  were  torturing  me,  my  grandmother 
continued  placidly :  — 

"Ephraim  will  drive  the  carriage  up  to 
Jerusalem,  and  meet  the  Richmond  coach. 


14        Their  Shadows  Before 

I  dare  say  he  can  get  back  to  the  manor  in 
time  for  tea  unless  the  sand  drifts  are  too 
heavy." 

A  slight  wind  was  stirring,  for  which  I 
gave  thanks  inwardly.  "I  wish  it  might 
blow  a  scirocco!  "  I  exclaimed  fervently. 

"Why,  how  is  this?  "  she  asked  sharply, 
as  she  settled  her  spectacles  well  over  her 
handsome  nose.  "I  fancied  from  the  way 
you  were  always  poring  over  books  that 
you  would  be  quite  pleased.  Only  a  fort 
night  since,  you  expressed  a  desire  to  be 
sent  to  Miss  Hugh's;  and  now,  when  your 
grandfather  has  arranged  for  you  to  have  the 
best  advantages  at  home,  you  look  as  gloomy 
and  miserable  as  possible." 

"O  grandma,"  I  exclaimed  indiscreetly, 
"I  think  I  might  have  been  told  about  it. 
Just  think  of  not  having  so  much  as  a  day's 
time  to  prepare  myself!  And  then,  the 
idea  of  a  prim,  long-nosed  old  maid  always 
reproving,  always  correcting  me, —  it  is 
fearful !  "  And  I  almost  sobbed. 


Their  Shadows  Before        15 

"I  hope  you  are  not  going  to  have  a  fit  of 
hysteria,  Penelope.  It  would  be  unprece 
dented,  I  think,  in  a  girl  of  your  years; 
and  as  for  the  length  of  nose  I  cannot  say, 
but  it  may  relieve  you  to  know  that  Mr. 
Basil  Mortimer  is  not  an  old  maid." 

"Mr.  Basil  Mortimer!"  I  repeated 
stupidly.  "He  is  a  man,  not  a  woman, 
then?" 

"Yes,  I  think  so,  undoubtedly,  Penelope. 
I  thought  I  was  quite  clear  on  that  point. 
In  the  mean  time  do  try  to  get  that  stupid, 
surprised  expression  from  your  face :  it 
makes  you  look  absurd. ' ' 

With  which  comforting  assurance  my 
grandmother  departed,  key-basket  in  hand, 
on  her  morning  round  of  inspection  in 
kitchen,  pantry,  china-closet,  and  linen- 
press. 

The  odious  sampler  fell  from  my  knee 
unheeded.  I  sat  dazed,  stupefied.  My 
thimble  dropped  from  my  finger  and  rolled 
across  the  hearth  almost  into  the  fire.  As 


1 6       Their  Shadows  Before 

I  stooped  to  pick  it  up,  a  sense  of  utter 
desolation  seemed  to  envelop  my  being. 
Who  cared  about  my  humiliation  and  dis 
grace?  What  did  it  matter  if  this  hateful 
man  who  was  coming  did  discover  all  of  my 
weaknesses  ?  There  was  no  one  who  would 
really  care.  Grandmamma  would  only  say 
that  " children  were  sent  to  school  to  learn, 
not  to  show  what  they  knew, ' '  which  I  felt 
to  be  true ;  but  to  be  sent  to  school  to  show 
what  one  did  not  know, — 'that  was  a  differ 
ent  thing. 

With  the  clear,  unerring  instinct  of 
childhood,  I  felt  that  I  was  not  what  my 
grandmother  wished  me  to  be;  nor  could  I 
ever  be.  Between  us  there  was  not  that 
beautiful  sympathy  that  sometimes  exists 
between  old  age  and  youth, — .that  sympathy 
which  is  the  fruit  of  the  union  of  infinite 
tenderness  on  the  one  side  and  of  infinite 
faith  on  the  other.  My  grandparents  felt  a 
natural  love  for  me,  no  doubt ;  but  it  was 
my  misfortune  to  be  totally  unlike  my 


Their  Shadows  Before        17 

father's  family.  In  me  they  had  suffered 
an  unexpressed  disappointment,  the  reflected 
shadow  of  which  somewhat  dimmed  the  sun 
shine  of  my  child  life;  and  so  I  learned  to 
live  a  life  apart.  My  little  realm  was 
guarded  round  about  by  a  wall  of  self-re 
straint  and  shy  reserve,  impenetrable  to  all 
save  Mammy  and  Uncle  Isham.  When 
other  help  seemed  vain  and  comfort  far, 
there  was  one  haven  of  refuge  ever  open  to 
me,  —  Mammy's  cabin.  There  was  no  grief 
too  deep,  no  joy  too  subtle,  for  her  sympa 
thetic  ear  and  responsive  heart. 

Down  in  the  ' '  quarters ' '  I  was  always 
sure  to  find  solace  of  some  sort.  The  art 
less  adoration  of  innumerable  little  darkies 
who  flocked  around  to  do  "Missy's"  bid 
ding, —  each  one  eager  to  share  "de 
sweetes'  'tater  yit  in  de  patch"  and  "de 
specklies'  one  uv  all  de  guinea  aiggs  "  — 
was  at  once  soothing  and  exhilarating. 

Upon  Mammy's  broad  bosom,  aching  head 
and  heart  alike  found  repose.  In  this 


1 8        Their  Shadows  Before 

moment  of  present  dejection  and  anticipated 
woe,  therefore,  it  was  to  her  I  turned  for  re 
assurance;  and,  hastily  flinging  my  cloak 
over  my  head,  I  sped  with  nimble  feet 
towards  my  sanctuary  of  peace. 

All  the  cabins  in  "the  quarters"  were 
built  of  great  round  logs,  covered  with  and 
rendered  air-tight  by  a  coat  of  mud,  known 
among  the  negroes  as  "  daub."  The  chim 
neys,  which  usually  extended  across  the 
entire  side  of  the  wall,  were  built  of  the 
same  substance.  Mammy's  cabin  was  pre 
eminently  superior  to  all  the  other  hab 
itations  of  the  sort  on  the  plantation  by 
virtue  of  its  construction,  being  built  of 
hewed  logs,  "  pointed  "  between  the  chinks 
with  plaster  instead  of  mud.  It  possessed, 
moreover,  a  glass  window,  which  was  the 
envy  of  every  dweller  in  the  "quarters." 
The  square  openings,  with  their  wooden 
slides  or  shutters,  which  served  for  windows 
in  the  rest  of  the  cabins,  were  rather  unsat 
isfactory  in  cold  weather,  as  they  admitted 


Their  Shadows  Before        19 

when  open,  or  excluded  when  shut,  both 
light  and  air  at  the  same  time. 

The  double  row  of  cabins,  with  their 
little  sweet-potato  and  tobacco  patches  on 
either  side,  presented  a  quite  village-like 
appearance.  The  instinctive  love  of  a  trop 
ical  race  for  vivid  colour  and  rhythmic  sound 
displayed  itself  in  the  gay  zinnias,  red, 
white,  and  yellow  chrysanthemums,  and 
flaunting  crimson  dahlias  that  grew  about 
the  doorways,  from  which  issued  snatches  of 
hymn  or  song  chanted  in  the  peculiar  but 
melodious  tones  of  the  Southern  slave. 
Swarms  of  small  negroes  were  sunning 
themselves  in  the  vicinity  of  old  Aunt 
Phoebe's  cabin. 

''Yonder  come  Missy!  Yonder  come 
Missy!"  chimed  a  chorus  of  voices;  while 
as  many  rows  of  snowy  teeth  were  displayed 
in  smiles  of  welcome  as  I  passed. 

"Aun'  Phibby  roastin'  er  'possum!"  an 
nounced  a  nimble,  ape-like  boy,  known  as 
Tumbling  Tom  on  account  of  certain  gym 
nastic  achievements. 


20       Their  Shadows  Before 

"Unc'  Solomon  kotched  him  las'  night, 
an'  he  sholy  are  fat. ' '  And  the  young  acro 
bat  smacked  his  lips  unctuously. 

"I  don'  keer  how  fat  he  are.  /  ain't 
gwinegit  none,"  replied  a  cynical  girl  of 
few  years  and  scant  raiment,  as  she  de 
scribed  a  circle  with  her  great  toe  in  the 
hot  sandy  soil. 

"Drippin's  is  good  on  tater-skins, "  re 
joined  Tumbling  Tom,  with  a  knowing  wink 
and  an  eloquent  roll  of  his  tongue.  "An' 
I's  gwine  ter  be  on  han'  when  dat  'possum 
gits  done. ' ' 

Savory  whiffs  of  sweet  potatoes,  slowly 
roasting  in  their  tiny  graves  of  hot  ashes  on 
Aunt  Phoebe's  hearthstone,  reached  me 
through  the  half -open  door;  while  the 
cheerful  sizzling  and  sputtering  of  the 
coveted  "drippin's  "  in  the  saucepan  under 
the  'possum,  which  hung  upon  a  spit  de 
vised  by  a  large  nail  driven  into  the  wood 
work  of  the  mantel-piece,  or  "hearth-shelf," 
as  it  is  styled  by  the  negroes,  corroborated 


Their  Shadows  Before        21 

Tom's  declaration,  and  gave  promise  of  a 
delectable  feast  for  Uncle  Solomon,  the 
Nimrod  of  our  plantation.  Upon  any  other 
occasion  but  the  present  I  would  surely 
have  been  tempted  a-nd  beguiled  by  the  vari 
ous  enticements  offered  in  the  shape  of 
' '  may  -  pops, ' '  pop  -  corn,  ' '  goober  -  pease, ' ' 
and  "scaly-barks  "  ;  but  to-day  I  firmly  de 
clined  the  offerings  of  my  small  handmaids, 
and  went  on  my  way. 

Eastward  stretched  undulating  fields  of 
yellow  tobacco-stalks,  lately  denuded  for 
the  curing.  Westward  lay  an  expanse  of  as 
yet  uncut  corn,  intersected  here  and  there 
by  green  hillocks,  and  fields  of  peanuts  and 
sweet  potatoes,  which  extended  down  to  the 
"worn-out  grounds,"  where  broom-sedge 
flourished,  despite  scant  nourishment,  and 
black-eyed  pease  grew  apace.  Here  and 
there  an  occasional  persimmon-tree  cast 
long  shadows  across  the  sunny  cotton-fields 
that  lay  southward,  towards  the  dark  line  of 
pine  woods  that  merged  into  the  mysterious 
depths  of  the  swamps  beyond. 


22        Their  Shadows  Before 

From  the  tobacco-house  on  the  hillside, 
where  the  hands  were  hanging  the  brown 
and  golden  leaves  of  the  tobacco  plants 
upon  the  tiers  along  the  walls  and  on  the 
conical  roof,  came  the  refrain  of  a  melan 
choly  ditty  — 

"  If  you  kin  pout, 

I  kin  be  stout : 
So  good-bye,  my  honey,  Mary  Jane." 

The  last  mournful  words  reached  me  quite 
distinctly,  as  I  stopped  for  a  moment  under 
the  sheltering  boughs  of  the  juniper-tree, 
which  cast  a  pool  of  shadows  about 
Mammy's  door. 

"  Good-bye,  my  honey,  Mary  Jane, — 
Good-bye,  good-bye,  good-bye,  Mary  Jane." 

The  long-drawn  wail  suddenly  ceased, 
and  I  became  aware  that  Mammy  was  enter 
taining  a  visitor.  Who  could  it  be? 

I  knew  that  most  of  the  negroes  were 
busy  in  the  fields  or  in  the  tobacco-house, 
and  that  Mammy  usually  disdained  to  con- 


Their  Shadows  Before        23 

sort  with  "field  hands,"  for  whom  she  felt 
undisguised  contempt.  I  listened.  The 
voice  was  unfamiliar  to  me,  and  now  and 
then  in  Mammy's  voice  there  was  a  tone  of 
suppressed  excitement  that  struck  oddly 
upon  my  ears. 

Very  gently  I  crept  up  the  rickety  steps, 
and  peeped  in.  Mammy  was  sitting  in  her 
cane-bottomed  chair  by  the  window.  Her 
hands  were  tightly  clasped  before  her; 
while  her  widely-distended  eyes  were  fixed 
with  a  frightened,  unseeing  expression  upon 
those  of  the  man  who  stood  directly  in  front 
of  her.  A  ray  of  sunshine  streamed  in 
through  the  vine-trellised  window,  and  cast 
a  broken  bar  of  yellow  light  across  the  floor, 
bringing  out  in  strong  relief  the  green  and 
red  star  pattern  of  the  quilt  that  adorned  the 
four-posted  bed  in  the  corner.  Standing 
directly  in  the  path  of  the  sunbeam,  the 
grotesque  figure  and  singular  visage  of 
Mammy's  strange  companion  seemed  to  be 
enveloped  in  a  halo  of  golden  radiance. 


24       Their  Shadows  Before 

His  misshapen  figure,  though  short  of 
stature  and  distorted  by  protuberances  that 
grew  from  each  side  of  the  collar-bone,  gave 
evidence  of  great  muscular  strength. 

His  head  was  well  shaped,  and  the  out 
line  of  face  and  feature  was  clearly  denned. 
About  the  mouth  and  jaws  there  was  a  heav 
iness  suggestive  of  latent  brutality;  while 
the  abnormally  developed  forehead  overhung 
a  pair  of  deep-set,  glowing  eyes,  which  from 
their  intensity  of  expression  produced  the 
peculiar  effect  of  double  pupils. 

What  struck  me  as  most  singular  in  the 
unique  personality  of  the  being  before  me 
was  his  hands.  They  were  well  formed, 
and  coffee-coloured  like  his  face,  excepting 
that  upon  the  back  of  one,  and  extending 
upward  from  the  wrist  of  the  other,  the  skin 
was  as  white  as  my  own. 

I  stood  riveted  to  the  spot,  deterred  by 
some  instinct  from  making  the  slightest 
noise  that  might  betray  my  presence. 

"The  time  is  near,  the  time  is  near,"  he 


Their  Shadows  Before        25 

said  solemnly.  "By  the  Sign  of  the  Sun 
and  the  Sign  of  the  Cross  it  shall  come  to 
pass!"  And  I  saw  him  pluck  from  his 
bosom  and  unroll  before  Mammy's  eyes  a 
scroll  of  paper,  upon  which  were  inscribed 
curious  figures  and  signs.  The  central 
figures  represented  a  sun  and  a  distinctly 
although  rudely  outlined  crucifix,  traced  in 
some  crimson  fluid. 

"The  White  Lamb  for  the  Black  Sheep ! ' ' 
he  continued  in  loud,  resonant  tones. 
"Jehovah  is  mighty,  and  he  will  show  that 
the  word  of  His  prophet  is  true.  A  token 
and  a  sign  shall  be  given;  and  the  rulers 
shall  see,  but  shall  not  understand,  and  the 
bondman  shall  know  that  Nathaniel  hath 
spoken  the  Word  of  the  Lord ! ' ' 

He  pushed  the  roll  of  paper  back  into  its 
hiding-place  as  he  spoke,  and  turned  towards 
the  door.  I  sprang  lightly  and  noiselessly 
from  my  perch,  and  crouched  behind  the 
trunk  of  the  juniper-tree,  which  completely 
screened  my  small  body  from  view.  Here 


26        Their  Shadows  Before 

I  waited  until  the  measured  tread  of  the 
man's  footsteps  along  the  gravelly  road 
grew  fainter,  and  at  last  ceased  to  be  heard. 

Very  quickly  I  came  to  a  decision  upon 
one  point.  Mammy  must  not  know  that  I 
had  witnessed  the  interview  between  herself 
and  her  strange  visitor.  No  one  must  know. 
For  my  grandfather  was  a  fierce  man  some 
times;  and,  if  he  knew  that  his  orders  con 
cerning  visitors  from  other  plantations  had 
been  disobeyed,  Mammy  would  be  punished. 
Perhaps  she  would  tell  me  about  it :  no 
doubt  she  would  explain  what  he  meant  by 
the  "sign  and  the  token. "  But  I  would  not 
ask, —  at  least,  not  yet. 

After  a  few  minutes  I  entered  the  cabin 
with  a  troubled  mind  and  an  aching  heart. 

"O  Mammy,"  I  exclaimed  without  any 
previous  greeting,  "I'm  going  to  have  a 
tutor, —  he  is  coming  to-night, —  and  I  am 
the  most  miserable  girl  in  Southampton 
County."  And  I  flung  my  arms  about  her 
neck,  and  fell  to  sobbing. 


Their  Shadows  Before        27 

" What  hurts  Mammy's  baby?"  she  said 
softly,  gathering  me  close  to  her  heart. 
"Tell  yo'  ole  Mammy  all  about  it."  And 
she  stroked  back  the  tangled  hair  from  my 
feverish  forehead  with  a  soothing  touch. 

With  tears  and  sobs  I  told  my  story. 

"Dar  now,  honey,"  she  said  consol 
ingly,  "don'  you  fret.  Men  folks  is  cu'jus, 
but  dey  easier  ter  git  along  wid  den 
women  is.  Besides,  you  oughter  be  mighty 
smart  an'  know  er  heap  when  you  grows  up. 
All  de  ladies  'bout  will  mos'  die  kaze  dey 
ain'  as  smart  as  my  lamb  gwine  ter  be  when 
she  gits  ter  be  Mist' is  uv  Winston  Manor. " 

By  which  it  will  be  seen  that  Mammy 
did  not  always  inculcate  the  highest  motives 
and  incentives  to  duty  in  my  youthful  mind. 
The  suggestion  of  some  day  being  the  envy 
of  the  county  ladies  was  decidedly  pleasing. 
Undoubtedly,  something  might  calmly  be 
endured  for  such  a  result.  I  dried  my  eyes 
on  a  corner  of  Mammy's  apron,  and  grew 
more  composed  in  my  mind. 


28        Their  Shadows  Before 

Mammy  had  just  taken  a  hot  sweet  potato 
from  the  hearth,  when  we  heard  loud  voices 
near  the  door. 

"Take  that,  you  black  sneak!  I'll  show 
you  what  you'll  get  for  disobeying  my 
orders ! ' '  And  the  quickly  repeated  lashes 
of  a  heavy  whip  smote  the  air.  My  heart 
gave  a  terrible  bound,  and  I  felt  my  lips 
blanch ;  for  I  knew  what  that  sound  meant : 
some  negro  was  being  whipped. 

We  both  rushed  to  the  door.  Mr.  West, 
the  new  overseer,  held  aloft  a  long  cowhide 
whip  over  the  bared  and  blood-stained  back 
of  a  young  negro  man. 

"O  Lord!  O  Lord!"  groaned  Mammy. 
"It's  Lame  Jim!" 

My  heart  seemed  to  burst  within  me  as 
I  saw  the  leathern  thong  descend  upon  the 
cripple's  shoulders. 

"Stop!"  I  cried.  "You  coward!" 
And  I  rushed  between  the  writhing  figure 
of  the  helpless  culprit  and  the  infuriated 
white  man. 


Their  Shadows  Before        29 

Mr.  West  was  blind  with  rage,  and  so 
sudden  was  my  movement  that  almost  simul 
taneously  the  blow  from  the  uplifted  lash 
fell  upon  my  own  shoulders.  An  agony  of 
pain  shot  through  my  body,  as  I  felt  the 
warm  blood  gush  from  my  tender  flesh,  a 
dimness  came  over  my  eyes,  and  I  fell  for 
wards  in  a  swoon  upon  the  ground.  When  I 
opened  my  eyes,  I  was  lying  on  Mammy's 
bed,  and  Mammy  was  holding  a  camphor 
bottle  to  my  nose. 

"See  dar!"  she  said  in  a  trembling 
voice,  as  I  stirred.  "Now  you'se  better." 
And  she  fanned  me  vigorously  with  a. 
turkey-wing  fan. 

"Water,"  I  gasped  faintly,  as  the  dizzy 
feeling  began  to  return.  "Water,  please." 

"Kin  Mammy's  baby  wait  till  she  run  ter 
de  well  and  gits  a  nice  cool  drink?"  she 
inquired  anxiously,  as  she  took  from  a  nail 
in  the  wall  a  large  gourd  dipper. 

"Mammy  won't  be  gone  no  time,"  she 
continued  reassuringly.  "An'  den  she'll 


30       Their  Shadows  Before 

take  her  baby  right  straight  ter  de  house. 
You  jes'  shet  yo'  eyes,  honey,  an'  res'  till 
I  git  back." 

The  pain  in  my  shoulder  was  hard  to 
bear;  and,  in  spite  of  Mammy's  hastily  im 
provised  bandages,  the  blood  was  still  ooz 
ing  from  the  wound.  I  closed  my  eyes 
wearily,  and  wondered  how  long  it  would 
take  her  to  draw  the  water  and  return. 
Some  minutes  must  have  elapsed  when  I 
was  aroused  by  a  slight  touch  on  my 
shoulder.  With  a  violent  start,  I  looked 
up,  and  saw  the  face  of  Mammy's  visitor 
bending  over  me. 

As  in  a  nightmare,  I  tried  to  cry  out,  but 
could  not. 

For  an  instant  one  of  those  strangely 
spotted  hands  touched  my  face,  as  with  a 
swift  movement  he  traced  a  circle  on  my 
forehead.  The  end  of  the  brown  finger  was 
red  and  moist  from  the  contact  with  my 
bleeding  shoulder. 

Once  more  I  made  an  agonised   effort  to 


Their  Shadows  Before        31 

call  Mammy,  but  the  word  died  on  my 
tongue.  The  solemn  eyes  held  me  with 
their  singular  power.  Was  I  awake  or  was 
this  just  a  dream?  I  could  not  tell.  Sud 
denly  he  spread  out  his  hands  as  in  prayer, 
and  I  heard  him  say,  "Lord  Jesus,  behold 
the  mark!" 

Then  he  turned  and  went  towards  the  door, 
casting  a  grotesque  shadow  on  the  sunlit 
floor.  As  he  disappeared,  I  heard  Mammy's 
voice  calling  Daphne.  When  her  tur- 
banned  head  appeared  in  the  doorway,  my 
overstrained  nerves  gave  way.  "Don't  let 
him  touch  me  again !  Take  me  away,  take 
me  away!"  And  for  the  second  time  that 
day  the  world  was  a  blank,  and  I  was  but 
the  shell  of  a  soul. 

When  I  recovered  consciousness,  I  was 
on  the  lounge  in  my  grandmother's  morn 
ing-room  ;  and  my  grandmother  herself  was 
kneeling  by  me,  chafing  my  hands,  while 
my  grandfather  held  a  flask  of  whiskey  to 
my  lips.  Mammy  was  rubbing  my  feet ; 


32        Their  Shadows  Before 

and   all    the  house  servants  were   standing 
around,  with  pallid,  awe  struck  faces. 

"What's  the  matter  with  everybody?"  I 
asked  slowly,  as  I  opened  my  eyes  and 
struggled  to  rise.  The  pain  in  my  neck 
and  shoulders  was  very  great  when  I  moved, 
and  I  sank  back.  I  remembered  now  what 
had  happened.  Of  course,  they  were  angry 
with  me.  Grandfather  hated  anything  like 
a  scene,  and  —  somehow  I  could  not  collect 
my  thoughts.  Everything  seemed  floating 
away  from  me. 

"I  hope  you're  not  very  angry.  I 
couldn't  help  it  —  I"  — 

" Angry?  No,  child:  no  one  is  angry." 
And  there  was  something  in  my  grand 
father's  voice  I  had  never  heard  before. 

"I  am  so  glad,"  I  whispered.  "I  could 
not  bear  to  see  Lame  Jim  whipped." 

I  felt  something  upon  my  hand;  and, 
looking  down,  I  saw  two  great  tears  drop 
from  my  grandmother's  half-shut  eyes. 

"You  must  not  talk  now,  dear,"  she  said 
gently. 


Their  Shadows  Before        33 

x 

"Wait  a  moment,"  said  my  grandfather 
suddenly.  "Cynthy,  go  tell  Mr.  West  I 
want  him  to  come  to  me  at  once,  here ;  and, 
Rhoda,  you  may  bring  Jim  in  also." 

The  negroes  glanced  from  their  places 
along  the  walls  at  the  master,  with  timid 
wonder  in  their  eyes.  Something  strange 
was  happening.  I  was  dimly  conscious  that 
an  unusual  scene  in  which  I  was  to  play  a 
prominent  part  was  to  be  enacted  in  my 
grandmother's  morning-room.  But  I  was 
too  weary  to  think  much.  So  I  closed  my 
eyes,  and  wondered  what  he  was  going  to 
do  with  Mr.  West  and  the  boy. 

I  do  not  know  how  long  it  was  before  I 
was  aroused  by  the  master's  voice,  which 
was  low  but  very  distinct,  as  he  said 
slowly,  — 

"By  whose  order,  Mr.  West,  did  you  pre 
sume  to  inflict  chastisement  upon  one  of  my 
negroes  ? ' ' 

I  opened  my  eyes,  and  saw  the  pale,  ter 
rified  face  of  the  overseer,  who  stood  cower- 


34        Their  Shadows  Before 

ing  before  my  grandfather.  The  man's  nos 
trils  twitched  as  he  tried  to  speak,  but  no 
sound  came  from  his  lips. 

"Can't  you  speak,  you  cur?" 

"He  —  Lame  Jim,  sir  —  went  to  Nat 
Turner's  meetin' ;  and  you  had  give  strict 
orders  none  of  'em  should  go,  sir,"  stam 
mered  the  man,  desperately.  "I  hope,  sir, 
I  was  but  doin*  my  dooty. " 

" Damn  your  duty !  "  said  my  grandfather. 
"You  are  discharged  from  any  further  'duty' 
on  my  plantation.  Now  I  give  you  one 
hour's  time  in  which  to  pack  your  belong 
ings  and  leave. ' ' 

Mr.  West's  jaw  dropped  as  he  heard  this 
unexpected  command. 

"I  am  sorry,  sir,"  he  said  humbly.  "I 
never  meant  to  touch  the  little  mistress:  I 
never  seen  her  till  it  was  too  late." 

"I  forgive  you  for  what  you  did  to  me," 
I  said;  for  I  was  sorry  for  the  creature. 
"You  did  not  mean  to  do  it,  I  know;  but, 
oh,  how  could  you  be  so  cruel ! ' '  And  I 


Their  Shadows  Before        35 

shivered  as  I  remembered  the  writhing, 
blood-stained  boy. 

"O  Mr.  West,"  I  said,  suddenly  raising 
myself  up,  "promise  me  you  never  will 
strike  a  cripple  slave  any  more;  and  I'll 
forget  that  you  struck  me!  " 

The  man  looked  at  me  for  a  moment  with 
a  strange  look  in  his  eyes. 

'  *  I  was  mad,  crazy  mad, ' '  he  said ;  ' '  but  I 
promise  you,  Miss,  never  to  hit  a  lame 
nigger  again  as  long  as  I  live." 

"I  am  glad  you  struck  me  now! 
Good-by,  Mr.  West!" 

I  held  out  my  hand  to  him.  A  flood  of 
crimson  mantled  his  face  for  a  moment;  and 
he  looked  towards  my  grandfather,  not  know 
ing  whether  to  shake  hands  with  me  or  not. 
My  grandfather  nodded  his  head.  The  over 
seer  clasped  my  hand  in  his,  and  then 
turned  and  left  the  room. 

"Where's  Jim?"   I  asked. 

"Here  he  is,"  answered  my  grandmother, 
as  Mammy  entered  the  room,  followed  by  the 


36        Their  Shadows  Before 

cripple.  The  boy  looked  from  one  to 
another  of  us  in  a  dazed  fashion,  as  if  not 
knowing  what  further  punishment  was  in 
store  for  him. 

' 'Please,  sir,  Massa,  I  neber  bin  but 
oncet;  an'  I  neber  hearn  what  Mr.  West  done 
said  'bout  our  gwine  ter  meetin's, "  he 
gasped. 

"Do  you  know  what  I  am  going  to  do 
with  you,  Jim?  "  asked  my  grandfather. 

"  Is  you  gwine  ter  —  sell  —  me, — 
Massa?" 

There  was  a  note  of  desperation  in  the 
boy's  voice,  as  the  words  fell  one  by  one 
from  his  ashy  lips. 

The  master  went  to  his  desk,  and  began 
to  write. 

As  the  goose-quill  moved  over  the  paper, 
I  began  to  feel  a  strange  sense  of  suffocation 
at  my  heart.  My  grandfather  laid  down  his 
quill  at  last,  and,  holding  up  the  paper, 
read  the  following  words:  — 


Their  Shadows  Before        37 

"This  is  a  deed  of  conveyance  by  which  I  do 
from  this  day  and  hour  settle  upon  my  grand 
daughter,  Penelope  Contesse  Winston,  the  slave 
known  on  my  plantation  as  '  Lame  Jim.'  Given 
over  my  hand  and  seal  this  fifth  day  of  October  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  eighteen  hundred  and  thirty. 
"CHARLES  CHRISTOPHER  WINSTON." 

There  was  a  silence  in  the  room  as  he  fin 
ished  reading  the  document. 

"Saimders  shall  come  to-morrow  and 
make  a  legal  record  of  this  deed,"  he  con 
tinued.  "And  now,  Jim,  you  belong  to 
Miss  Penelope :  she  can  do  what  she  pleases 
with  you. ' ' 

A  low  sob  of  joy  broke  from  the  boy's 
lips  as  the  meaning  of  the  sentence  dawned 
upon  him. 

"Rhoda, "  said  my  grandmother,  "put 
Miss  Penelope  to  bed  at  once,  and  give  her 
a  soothing  draught.  She  must  have  no 
further  excitement  to-day. ' ' 

With  a  wave  of  her  hand  the  servants 
were  dismissed,  and  a  moment  later  I  was 
being  borne  in  Mammy's  strong  arms  to  my 
own  bedroom  upstairs. 


Chapter  III. 

"TTTHAT  does  he  look  like?"  I  in- 
V  V  quired  anxiously,  as  I  swallowed 
my  last  bit  of  buttered  waffle  and  chicken 
and  pushed  back  the  silver  tray  from  my 
bedside;  for  by  my  grandmother's  express 
command  I  was  taking  my  breakfast  in  bed. 
Indeed,  I  was  scarcely  in  a  condition  to  be 
up;  for,  besides  the  pain  caused  by  the 
long,  deep  cut  across  my  neck  and  shoulders, 
the  excitement  of  the  day  before  had  left  me 
in  a  low  and  prostrated  condition  of  mind 
and  body. 

Mammy  plumped  up  my  pillows  and 
straightened  the  bed-covers  leisurely  before 
replying  to  my  question. 

"Is  you  worry  in'  'bout  dat  teacher-man, 
honey?  La!  chile,  you  needn't  have  no 
fear!  He's  an  out-'n-out  gentleman  same 
as  Master,  dough  dey  do  say  he  come  f'om 
de  Norf !  He  done  give  Primus  fifty  cents 
fer  totin'  his  traps  upstairs." 


Their  Shadows  Before        39 

"The  North  !     Then  he  is  a  Yankee !  " 

"He  look  like  a  sho'  'nuff  gentleman, 
anyhow,"  said  Mammy,  positively. 

"Is  he  ugly,  Mammy?  " 

"What  diffrunce  he  looks  mek  ter  you?  " 
she  inquired  sharply. 

"It  makes  a  great  deal  of  difference, ' '  I 
replied,  unabashed.  "I  like  handsome 
people,  and  I  don't  like  ugly  people." 

"Pretty  is  as  pretty  does,"  quoth  Mammy, 
rebukingly. 

"That's  not  so,"  I  said  with  a  trifle 
more  of  decision  than  courtesy.  "Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots,  and  Cleopatra  were  beautiful 
and  very  bad,  besides  ever  so  many  other 
history  people.  I  don't  believe  that  any 
body  really  thinks  that,  either,"  I  proceeded 
discoursingly. 

"Dey  don'  have  niggers  up  dar  whar  he 
come  f'om,  do  dey  ?  "  she  asked  irrelevantly, 
as  she  brushed  the  tangles  out  of  my  hair. 

' '  No, ' '  I  replied  contemptuously.  ' ' They 
haven't  got  plantations  or  slaves  or  any 
thing,  and  they  do  their  own  work!  " 


40        Their  Shadows  Before 

'  'Bar's  heaps  of  money  up  dar,  I 
reck'n?" 

' '  Money !  "  I  cried.  ' '  I  hate  money ! 
And  I  wish  this  horrid  man  was  not  a 
Yankee!" 

I  flung  myself  down  violently  in  the 
feathery  depths  of  my  bed,  forgetting  my 
wound.  A  sharp  little  cry  burst  from  my 
lips.  In  an  instant  Mammy  had  lifted  me 
out  of  the  bed  and  was  holding  me  as  ten 
derly  as  an  infant  in  her  strong  arms. 

"Mammy's  po'  little  lamb!"  she  said 
softly,  as  she  rocked  me  back  and  forth. 
"Mammy's  little  lamb,  what  suffered  fer  de 
black  sheep ! ' ' 

There  was  a  passion  of  fervour  in  the  old 
woman's  voice  that  frightened  me. 

"Put  me  down!"  I  cried.  "You  talk 
like  that  strange  man  !  " 

A  swift  gleam  of  terror  swept  over  her 
face  for  a  moment. 

"Missy,  is  you  out  yo'  hade?  What  you 
talkin'  'bout?" 


Their  Shadows  Before        41 

I  instantly  remembered  my  determination 
not  to  speak  of  what  I  had  seen  and  heard. 

"Oh,  nothing  much,"  I  answered  in  an 
embarrassed  voice.  And  then,  hating  any 
thing  like  a  lie,  I  continued  :  — 

"Only  I  heard  a  strange  black  man  yes 
terday  talking  about  'signs  and  tokens/  and 
he  said  something  about  the  'white  lamb  for 
the  black  sheep. '  And  I  saw  him  again 
when  you  went  to  get  the  water,  —  or  I 
dreamed  that  part,  maybe,  —  and  what  you 
said  reminded  me  of  it,  that's  all." 

"  La ! "  said  Mammy,  with  a  laugh. 
"You  mus'  have  heerd  dat  ole  'stracted 
nigger  Moses's  foolishness!  " 

She  watched  me  narrowly  as  she  spoke. 
Now  I  knew  Uncle  Moses  well  enough. 

"No:  it  was  not  Uncle  Moses,  Mammy. 
I  heard  him  talking  to  you  ;  but  you  needn't 
care,  for  I  promise  on  my  word  of  honour  I 
will  never  tell  a  single  soul." 

"You's  right,  honey!  Don'  say  nuth'n' 
't  all  'bout  it.  I  don'  know  what  he  meant, 


42        Their  Shadows  Before 

Lord  knows!  'Twasn't  nuth'n'  but  crazy, 
foolish  talk,  I  reck'n;  but  don'  tell  nobody, 
kaze  it  might  git  more'n  one  inter  trouble." 

"A  Winston's  word  is  as  good  as  any 
man's  oath,  my  grandfather  says.  I  prom 
ised  not  to  tell,  and  I  won't." 

"  Lord  bless  you!"  said  Mammy,  as  she 
tucked  me  snugly  up  again. 

After  Mammy  had  taken  her  departure, 
my  mind  grew  troubled.  Nobody  was 
really  true.  Everybody  had  something  to 
hide.  Why  was  the  world  like  this? 

My  grandmother  came  up  later,  and 
brought  me  a  bag  of  chestnuts  and  some 
fresh  ginger-cakes, —  an  unusual  attention 
on  her  part.  And  my  grandfather,  too, 
came  up  to  my  little  white  room,  and,  sitting 
by  my  bedside,  gave  me  a  detailed  account 
of  the  raccoon  hunt  of  the  night  before,  —  a 
pastime  of  the  negroes  in  which  I  always 
took  a  lively  interest. 

Nothing  was  said  about  the  new  inmate 
of  the  house  except  in  a  very  general  way, 


Their  Shadows  Before        43 

and  for  some  unaccountable  reason  I  dared 
not  ask  any  questions.  I  was  to  begin  les 
sons  on  Monday :  that  was  settled. 

It  was  now  Friday,  and  I  began  to  calcu 
late  how  many  pages  of  grammar  and  geog 
raphy  might  be  reviewed  within  these 
three  days  of  grace.  I  was  a  little  relieved 
when  my  grandparents  left  me,  and  I  began 
studying  violently.  This  particular  line  of 
mental  effort  was,  however,  so  unusual  that 
I  grew  exhausted  in  a  short  time.  How 
stupid  school-books  were !  How  much  nicer 
it  was  to  learn  facts  about  places  and  things 
in  books  of  travel  and  history ! 

Of  course,  Mr.  Basil  Mortimer  knew  a 
great  deal  about  everything.  He  would  — 
and  justly,  perhaps  —  think  me  a  little  fool. 

I  knew  I  was  not  a  fool,  and  my  face  grew 
hot  and  crimson  at  the  very  thought. 

It  was  dismal  enough  up  there  all  alone. 
I  wished  I  might  have  a  game  of  cards  with 
Black  Ailsie  and  Uncle  Domino.  I  re 
flected.  In  the  afternoon  I  tried  to  read 


44        Their  Shadows  Before 

some  of  my  favourite  stories,  but  even  "The 
Castle  of  Otranto  "  seemed  insipid.  I  de 
cided  to  get  up  and  dress  myself.  But  how 
could  I  hide  that  ugly  scar  on  my  neck? 
Unfortunately,  my  frocks  were  all  cut  half- 
low,  as  was  the  fashion  for  children's  gowns 
in  those  days.  I  turned  the  key  softly  in 
the  lock.  Mammy  would  think  I  was 
asleep  if  she  knocked  and  I  did  not  answer. 
Then  I  took  from  the  innermost  recesses  of 
my  mother's  hair  trunk,  which  always  stood 
in  my  room,  an  old-fashioned  neck -kerchief, 
bordered  with  Valenciennes  lace.  It  would 
look  very  nice ;  but,  then,  what  did  it  mat 
ter?  Nobody  would  see  me.  But,  still,  I 
would  take  a  little  exercise  and  perhaps  I 
might  catch  a  glimpse  of  my  tutor. 

"I  would  like  to  see  him,"  I  said  to  my 
self,  as  I  pinned  the  yellowed  folds  of  the 
mull  kerchief  over  my  breast,  and  viewed 
the  reflection  of  my  small  person  in  the 
mantel  mirror  rather  doubtfully.  I  stepped 
out  into  the  hall,  and  leaned  over  the  banis- 


Their  Shadows  Before        45 

ters.  A  cheerful  fire  blazed  on  the  hearth 
downstairs,  and  threw  red  gleams  across  the 
polished  oak  floor.  Now  was  my  chance. 
There  was  no  one  there.  The  face  in  the 
Dutch  clock  on  the  landing  seemed  to 
grimace  at  me  from  its  corner  among  the 
shadows,  as  I  ran  down  the  stairway  and 
crept  into  the  library. 

It  was  growing  late. 

I  pushed  aside  the  old-fashioned  red 
damask  curtains  from  the  deep-silled  win 
dow,  and  gazed  out  at  the  evening  sky.  I 
had  been  standing  there  for  some  time, 
watching  the  fantastic  cloud  shapes,  when  I 
suddenly  heard  voices  at  the  door.  I  drew 
the  ample  draperies  closer,  until  I  was  com 
pletely  concealed  from  view. 

' 'As  I  was  saying,"  I  heard  my  grand 
father  say  earnestly,  as  he  motioned  his 
companion  to  be  seated  in  a  great  arm-chair 
directly  within  my  visual  range  from  my 
hiding-place, — "as  I  was  saying,  Mr. 
Mortimer,  I  find  it  absolutely  impossible  to 


46        Their  Shadows  Before 

allow  them  to  have  any  intercourse  with  the 
slaves  on  the  adjoining  plantations.  This 
negro  preacher,  Nat  Turner,  is  demoralising 
every  darky  in  Southampton  County;  and  I 
intend  to  be  very  strict  in  regard  to  the  en 
forcement  of  my  orders.  I  don't  see  what 
Travis  meant  when  he  educated  Nat  as  he 
did.  The  fellow's  singing  and  praying  is  a 
nuisance  to  the  whole  county.  I  shall  ride 
over  to  Belmont  to-morrow,  and  have  a  talk 
with  Travis.  It  will  not  do,  I  say." 

"Singing  and  praying  would  not  seem  to 
be  very  incendiary,"  said  Mr.  Mortimer, 
with  a  smile. 

"You  don't  know  the  race,"  said  my 
grandfather.  "They  are  as  easily  excited 
as  children;  and  the  fellow  has  a  curious 
sort  of  influence  over  them,  which  is  not  for 
their  good. ' ' 

"Is  he  a  man  of  intelligence?  " 

"Yes.  As  I  said,  Travis,  his  owner,  was 
fool  enough  to  have  him  taught.  He  is  far 
above  the  average  negro  in  intelligence. 


Their  Shadows  Before       47 

As  a  result  of  what  Travis  calls  his  experi 
ment,  Nat  is  holding  conventicles,  and  the 
negroes  are  getting  what  they  call  'religi'n* 
all  around  here. ' ' 

"Religion  is  not  a  bad  thing  to  have," 
said  the  Northerner,  reflectively.  "But,  as 
you  say,  Mr.  Winston,  I  do  not  know  the 
race." 

"I  have  been  annoyed  a  good  deal  lately," 
continued  the  master  of  Winston  Manor. 
"One  of  my  negroes,  a  cripple,  went  to  his 
last  meeting;  and  my  overseer,  an  Ohio 
man  I  had  just  taken  into  my  employ, 
whipped  him.  It  was  a  cowardly  thing  to 
do,  and  I  discharged  the  fellow  at  once. 
My  grand- daughter  interfered  when  she 
heard  West  beating  the  boy,  and  received  an 
ugly  cut  herself  in  the  effort  to  save  him. 
That  girl  of  mine  has  spirit,  I  can  tell 
you!" 

"How  did  it  happen?"  asked  the  tutor, 
a  note  of  unmistakable  interest  in  his  voice. 
And  then,  with  flaming  cheeks,  I  heard  my 


48        Their  Shadows  Before 

grandfather  recount  the  scene  of  the  day  be 
fore. 

I  was  an  eavesdropper, —  something  al 
most  as  bad  as  a  thief !  How  I  wished  to 
escape  !  But  I  could  not :  I  dare  not ! 

The  tutor  listened  quietly  to  the  story. 
Then  he  said  :  — 

"You  must  be  proud  of  this  little  grand 
daughter  of  yours.  She  has  a  very  noble 
nature,  I  am  sure ! ' ' 

"She  is  every  inch  a  Winston,"  said  my 
grandfather,  unconscious  of  the  vanity  of  the 
remark. 

Mr.  Basil  Mortimer  smiled.  Virginians 
were  so  inordinately  proud  of  themselves, 
was  probably  his  thought. 

Through  a  narrow  opening  of  the  curtains 
I  could  see  the  outline  of  a  tall,  muscular 
figure  and  a  blond  head.  There  was  silence 
in  the  room  for  the  space  of  a  few  moments. 
My  grandfather  kicked  a  half -burnt  log  of 
wood  in  the  fireplace  with  his  boot-heel, 
and  a  storm  of  red  sparks  flew  up  the  chim- 


Their  Shadows  Before       49 

ney.  Mr.  Mortimer  turned  his  head.  I 
saw  the  profile  of  an  oval  face,  ending  in  a 
King  Charles  beard  of  golden  brown,  a  high 
forehead,  over  which  hair  of  the  same  colour 
lay  carelessly  parted,  and  caught  a  brief 
glimpse  of  a  pair  of  hazel  eyes. 

"I  never  understood  that  child,"  said  my 
grandfather,  musingly.  "She  is  the  last  of 
the  family.  I  have  no  heir  to  carry  on  the 
name.  Her  birth  was  a  bitter  disappoint 
ment  :  I  wanted  a  grandson. ' ' 

He  sighed. 

"I  think  that  perhaps  you  may  learn  to 
forget  that  there  was  a  disappointment," 
said  Mr.  Basil  Mortimer,  quietly.  "A 
noble  nature  like  hers  is  rare." 

I  felt  a  thrill  of  joy  at  my  heart,  and  then 
suddenly  an  agony  of  shame.  If  he  knew  I 
was  hidden  behind  those  curtains,  listening 
to  a  conversation  not  intended  for  me  to 
hear,  he  would  never,  never  think  me  noble 
again. 

Just  then  the  tea-bell  rang. 


50        Their  Shadows  Before 

"Come,"  said  my  grandfather.  "We 
shall  find  my  wife  in  the  dining-room." 

As  they  disappeared  through  the  hall 
door,  I  issued  from  my  hiding-place,  and 
sped  with  nimble  feet  up  the  stairway  and 
into  my  own  room.  With  trembling  fingers 
I  took  off  my  clothes  and  crept  into  bed. 

Mammy  came  in  softly,  bearing  my  tea. 
But  I  pretended  to  be  asleep;  that  is,  I  did 
not  move  or  stir.  After  she  had  gone,  I 
rose  up  and  knelt  down  by  the  window. 

' '  Please,  God,  make  me  suffer ;  for  I  have 
been  a  very  wicked  child,"  I  prayed.  "If 
I  confess  my  sin,  will  you  forgive  me  ?  For 
Jesus'  sake,  Amen." 

Then  I  laid  my  burning,  throbbing  head 
on  the  pillow,  and  fell  into  a  troubled, 
broken  sleep,  in  which  I  dreamed  that  I  was 
being  tried  for  high  treason  against  the  king 
of  the  United  States,  and  that  my  grand 
father  was  the  bailiff  and  Mr.  Basil  Morti 
mer  the  justice. 

When  I  awoke  next  morning,  a  stream  of 


Their  Shadows  Before        51 

sunshine  was  pouring  in  through  the  open 
shutter  of  my  window.  I  got  out  of  bed 
and  walked  over  to  look  out.  Down  a  turn 
of  the  lane  I  could  see  grandfather's  tall 
top-buggy  disappearing.  He  was  leaning 
forward,  out  of  it,  and  pointing  with  his 
whip  to  some  object  in  the  tobacco  fields  to 
the  right. 

' '  Where  is  grandfather  ?  "  I  asked 
Mammy,  who  came  in  at  this  moment  to 
curl  my  hair. 

"He  an'  dat  man  hev  druv  to  de  Cote 
House,"  she  replied.  "I  'spec'  dey  done 
gone  ter  git  de  papers  made  out  fer  Jim." 

"Oh,  yes.  I  suppose  that's  it.  You 
must  make  Jim  some  new  shirts;  and  I  will 
knit  him  some  socks,  now  he  belongs  to  me. 
Only  I  wish"  — 

And  then  I  stopped.  Mammy  would  not 
understand. 

"I  want  to  get  some  persimmons  to-day," 
I  continued.  "I  am  going  with  Daphne 
and  Celeste  and  Charity,  and  I  wish  you 
would  put  up  a  lunch  for  us. ' ' 


52        Their  Shadows  Before 

"OleMisssesso?" 

"She  hasn't  yet,  but  she  will." 

My  excursions  with  the  little  negroes  had 
become  a  sort  of  established  custom  with 
me,  although  grandmamma  was  always 
threatening  that  she  would  put  a  stop  to 
them  because  of  the  very  evident  effect  such 
association  had  upon  my  English.  But,  as 
I  never  believed  she  would,  I  did  not  mind. 

On  this  particular  morning  permission 
was  the  more  readily  granted  on  account  of 
the  fact  that  in  a  short  time  I  would  be  too 
busy  for  such  recreation.  So,  after  a  rather 
hurried  breakfast,  I  started  off,  followed  by 
my  small  attendants,  who  bore  upon  their 
heads  baskets  in  which  the  persimmons  were 
to  be  stowed.  We  must  have  looked  like  a 
procession  from  an  antique  frieze. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  tree  which  we 
were  to  attack,  we  sat  down  to  rest ;  for  it 
was  quite  warm.  I  took  off  my  pink  sun- 
bonnet,  and  fanned  myself  with  it. 

"I  sholy  wishes  / was  white!"  remarked 


Their  Shadows  Before        53 

Daphne,  gazing  admiringly  at  my  pale  face. 
"Cynthy  say  Mis'  Semiramis  say  black 
folks  tu'ns  white  when  dey  dies.  Cynthy 
say  she  done  wish  she  was  dade. ' ' 

"What  nonsense!"   I  replied  scornfully. 

Miss  Semiramis  Dove  was  the  seamstress 
at  the  manor,  and  was  held  in  great  esteem 
by  the  negroes. 

"Miss  Pensie,  is  niggers  gwine  ter 
Heben?  "  inquired  Charity,  rolling  her  eyes 
up  until  only  a  rim  of  white  was  visible. 

"Of  course,  if  they  are  good,"  I  answered 
uneasily.  "Don't  roll  your  eyes  like  that. 
You  make  me  shiver. ' ' 

"I'th  gwine  ter  be  good,  tho  I  kin  be 
Mith  Penthie'th  maid  an'  tote  her  harp  for 
her,"  lisped  Celeste,  with  a  delighted  grin. 

"We  don't  know  whether  we  shall  any  of 
us  go  to  heaven,"  I  replied  severely.  "But 
who  is  going  to  climb  the  tree?  " 

"I  is!"  and  "I  is!"  and  ' '  I  ith  !  "  came 
in  a  chorus.  And  immediately  three 
nimble,  supple  figures  began  the  ascent. 


54        Their  Shadows  Before 

"I  ain't  gwine  ter  stop  till  I  gits  clean 
up  ter  de  top  uv  dis  tree,"  said  Daphne, 
emphatically,  as  she  swung  herself  from 
limb  to  limb.  "Miss  Pensie,  you  kin  pick 
'em  up  when  dey  draps !  " 

And  so  vigorously  did  my  handmaids 
shake  that  I  found  it  quite  a  task  to  gather 
the  fruit  as  it  fell. 

"Somebody  get  down  and  help  me,"  I 
called. 

"Fth  comin',"  said  Celeste,  who  was 
growing  weary  of  her  high  place;  and  she 
dropped  herself  lightly  down,  and  stood  be 
fore  me,  grinning. 

"When  we  get  these  baskets  full,  we  will 
have  dinner,"  I  remarked.  And,  with 
Celeste's  assistance,  the  baskets  were  soon 
filled. 

"Come  down,  you  all!  I  am  hungry," 
I  called.  We  fell  upon  Mammy's  lunch 
with  keen  appetite. 

"Over  yander  is  de  Big  Dizmal,"  said 
Daphne,  contemplatively,  nodding  her  head 


Their  Shadows  Before        55 

in  the  direction  of  the  swamps.  "Dere's 
copperheads  an'  rattlesnakes  an'  black 
whuppers  in  dat  place."  And  she  made  a 
gesture  of  disgust. 

"An'  dere's  bones  dere,  —  bones  uv 
niggers  what  runned  off  an'  was  los'  in  de 
cypress  knees,  an'  couldn'  git  out  no  mo'  !  " 
added  Charity.  "Unc'  Moses  seen  er  nest 
uv  rattlesnakes  in  er  skelerton  dar  one 
time!" 

"Dar  wuth  a  woman  onthet,  an*  she  wuth 
whupped  by  a  black  thnake;  an'  the  thnake 
whupped  an'  whupped  till  it  tail  drap  off, 
an'  the  woman  thay, — 

'  Hade  uv  you  black  thnake, 

Foller  yo'  tail, 
Ur  yo'  blud  will  kiver 
De  mark  uv  yo'  trail ' ; 

An'  den  itth  hade  drap  off,  an'  the  woman 
run  home,  an'  the  fire  wuth  bu'nin'  blue 
kathe  the  devil  wuth  aroun'  !  " 

"That's   a    dreadful    lie    you're   telling, 


56        Their  Shadows  Before 

Celeste,"  I  said  severely.  "Don't  you 
know  that  it  is  very  wicked  to  tell  lies?  " 

"I  know  itth  wrong  fer  white  folks,"  re 
plied  the  mendacious  Celeste,  placidly. 
"But  nobody  don'  tek  no  'count  uv  what 
niggerth  thay.  In  courthe,  you  never  doth 
nuthin'  bad,  kathe  you're  a  little  white 
lady." 

Yes,  I  was  a  lady ;  but  was  it  true  that  I 
never  did  anything  bad  ?  I  thought  of  the 
day  before,  and  I  hated  myself. 

"Yes,  I  do  do  wrong  sometimes;  and  it's 
a  great  deal  worse  in  me, ' '  I  said  humbly. 
"But  it's  getting  late,  and  I  am  tired. 
Let's  go  home." 

As  we  trudged  along,  Daphne  started  a 
hymn  in  which  we  all  joined.  High  and 
shrill,  yet  not  without  a  singular  sort  of 
melody,  were  our  voices  as  we  sang :  — 

"  Washt  in  de  blud  uv  de  Lamb, 

Washt  in  de  blud  we'll  be ; 
An'  den  we'll  sing  lak  Moses  sing, 
When  we  f'om  de  bonds  is  free, 
When  we  f'om  de  bonds  is  free !  " 


Chapter  IV. 

"  T  DECLAR'  ter  gracious,  I  ain't  neber 

A  seed  sech  er  chile  fer  t'arin'  close, ' '  com 
plained  Mammy,  as  she  began  to  sew  up  a 
long  rent  in  my  best  plaid  muslin  frock. 
1  'Fust  time  dat  teacher-man  see  you,  too." 

"Well,  I  couldn't  help  the  briers  and 
burrs,"  I  replied  meekly. 

"You  got  no  business  'mongst  briers  an* 
burrs.  He'll  think  you  b' longs  ter  wil' 
folks,  sho'."  Mammy  was  exceedingly  sen 
sitive  as  to  the  impression  I  made  upon 
strangers,  as  she  regarded  my  good  or  bad 
appearance  as  reflecting  credit  or  discredit 
upon  herself. 

Her  last  words  irritated  me.  "I  don't 
care  what  he  thinks,"  I  replied  hotly.  "I 
wish  he  was  dead,  I  do !  " 

Mammy  dropped  her  spool  and  scissors, 
and  gazed  upon  me  with  an  expression  of 
grave  rebuke. 

"Dat's  wicked,  Missy.      Tumble  wicked 


58        Their  Shadows  Before 

ter  wish  anybody  dade.  What  harm  he 
done  ter  you  ? ' ' 

As  I  had  no  specific  charge  to  make,  I 
was  silent. 

"The  Lord  hoi's  people  ter  account  what 
meks  sech  wishes,  too;  an'  I  'spec'  you'll 
be  sorry  fer  talkin'  so  'fo'  you're  done." 

"I'm  not  sorry  yet,"  I  replied  obsti 
nately. 

"Mebbe  you  ain't;  but  mebbe  you  ought 
ter  be,  an  mebbe  you  will  be  'fo'  long." 
There  was  a  pause  after  this  half -threaten 
ing  hint. 

I  wanted  to  ask  why,  but  forebore,  as  I 
saw  that  she  felt  she  had  made  an  impres 
sion.  I  wondered  if  she  divined  my  future 
humiliation. 

"He  done  brung  Jim  a  crutch  wid  er  red 
shoulher-res'  pad  in  it  for  to  go  under  de 
arm, ' '  she  remarked  presently. 

"Who?" 

"Who?"  she  echoed.  "Why,  dat 
teacher-man. ' ' 


Their  Shadows  Before        59 

"Did  he,  Mammy?  "  I  asked  with  a  very 
decided  tremor  in  my  voice.  "Oh,  I  am  so 
glad!" 

"Yes.  Stand  still,  chile,  or  I  neber  will 
git  yo'  h'ar  combed.  An'  Jim  sholy  is 
proud.  An'  'Whosoeber  hateth  his  brother 
widout  er  cause  is  in  danger  uv  hell-fire.' 

Although  apparently  quite  irrelevant,  I 
felt  keenly  the  application  and  connection 
of  these  last  words.  Mammy  tied  my  sash, 
and  adjusted  my  nankeen  cape  properly,  but 
in  silence.  "Now  you' se  ready.  Go 'long, 
fo'  yo'  grandma  send  fer  you."  I  paused 
irresolutely  for  a  moment ;  and  then,  clasp 
ing  my  arms  about  the  old  woman's  neck,  I 
said  humbly:  "I'm  sorry,  Mammy,  for  the 
wicked  words, —  not  on  account  of  the  hell- 
fire,  but  because  he  gave  Jim  the  crutch." 
And  then  I  ran  out  of  the  room,  for  the 
breakfast  gong  was  sounding. 

At  the  bottom  step  of  the  stairs  I  stopped. 
Through  the  half -open  door  I  could  see  my 
grandfather  and  Mr.  Mortimer,  as  they  stood 
before  the  fire,  talking. 


60       Their  Shadows  Before 

"Penelope,  is  that  you?"  called  my 
grandmother.  And,  thus  bidden,  I  entered 
the  room  with  my  heart  beating  a  tattoo 
against  the  stiffly-starched  serenity  of  my 
nankeen  cape.  "This  is  Penelope  Winston, 
my  grand -daughter,"  she  said  to  Mr.  Morti 
mer,  as  I  advanced  shyly.  "Go  forward, 
Penelope,  and  speak  to  Mr.  Mortimer. ' ' 

Mr.  Mortimer's  hazel  eyes  gave  me  a 
friendly  look  of  encouragement.  So  I  made 
a  stiff  little  curtsy,  and  then  put  forth  a 
small  hand,  which  was  instantly  clasped  in 
a  firm,  warm  grasp. 

"So  this  is  my  pupil?"  he  said  with  a 
smile.  "I  hope  we  shall  be  friends." 
And  then  we  sat  down  to  breakfast. 

"His  face  is  nice,"  was  my  mental  com 
ment;  "and  his  eyes  are  kind.  Perhaps  it 
may  not  be  so  very  dreadful,  after  all." 
The  prospect  was  not  altogether  gloomy, 
and  I  began  to  feel  somewhat  at  ease. 

"How  does  it  happen  that  you  strayed  so 
far  as  Virginia?"  asked  my  grandmother, 
as  she  poured  the  coffee. 


Their  Shadows  Before        61 

"I  was  not  quite  well  for  some  time  after 
I  left  Harvard,"  he  replied.  "And,  when 
I  heard  through  Major  Appleton  that  you 
wanted  a  tutor,  I  was  very  glad  indeed  to 
offer  myself  in  that  capacity." 

"So  you  know  Appleton,  do  you?  "  broke 
in  my  grandfather.  "A  fine  fellow  he  was 
when  I  knew  him,  thirty-five  years  ago,  at 
West  Point.  We  were  close  friends  in 
those  old  days ;  and,  although  we  have  gone 
our  different  ways  in  life, —  he  stuck  to  the 
army,  while  I  gave  up  my  commission  to 
take  charge  of  the  estate  when  my  father 
died, —  still  we  write  to  each  other  now  and 
then,  and  have  exchanged  visits  during  the 
long  interval. " 

"So  he  told  me,"  answered  Mr.  Mort 
imer. 

"It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  get  a  gentle 
woman  for  a  governess  here.  So  I  made  a 
bold  stroke,  and  decided  to  get  a  tutor  in 
stead.  It  was  a  sort  of  surprise  party, 
wasn't  it?"  My  grandfather  laughed. 


62        Their  Shadows  Before 

"Yes,  I  confess  I  expected  a  boy  pupil.  " 

A  shadow  crossed  my  grandfather's  face, 
and  he  sighed. 

I  glanced  up  at  him  with  unconscious  ap 
peal  in  my  eyes,  perhaps.  I  was  a  disap 
pointment  to  everybody.  Even  this  strange 
man  had  ' t  expected  ' '  me  to  be  a  boy. 

"I  am  very  glad  that  I  was  mistaken. " 

Mr.  Mortimer's  eyes  were  looking  straight 
into  mine,  and  I  felt  that  he  had  read  my 
thoughts. 

"Penelope  is  like  her  mother's  family," 
said  my  grandmother,  glancing  at  me  in  a 
somewhat  critical  way. 

As  she  spoke,  my  tutor's  eyes  involunta 
rily  glanced  from  my  face  to  the  line  of  fam 
ily  portraits  that  hung  on  the  walls.  Gen 
erations  of  my  ancestors,  some  in  red  coats, 
some  bewigged  and  powdered,  but  all  bear 
ing  the  family  characteristics  in  their  regu 
lar,  proud  features,  met  the  New  Eng- 
lander's  gaze. 

"Who  is  that?"    he  asked  suddenly,   as 


Their  Shadows  Before        63 

he  pointed  to  a  portrait  over  the  sideboard 
in  the  corner, —  "that  beautiful  face,  over 
there?" 

"That  is  a  portrait  of  my  son's  wife, 
Penelope's  mother,"  she  said  coldly. 

"Ah!"  said  Mr.  Mortimer.  "I  might 
have  known. ' ' 

"I  shall  have  to  ride  over  the  fields  this 
morn  ing, ' '  remarked  my  grandfather.  ' '  Per 
haps  Penelope  can  show  you  about  the  place 
a  bit." 

"Will  you?"  asked  Mr.  Mortimer,  look 
ing  straight  at  me.  "I  should  like  to  look 
over  the  books  first  in  the  library,  if  you 
will  help  me?  " 

"Yes,"  I  answered.  A  sudden  recollec 
tion  of  my  last  experience  in  the  library 
made  my  voice  sound  rather  reluctant. 

"Would  you  rather  not?"  asked  Mr. 
Mortimer.  I  shook  my  head.  "Then  come 
now,"  he  said;  for  my  grandmother  had 
risen  from  the  table.  And  I  went  with  him 
without  a  word. 


64        Their  Shadows  Before 

Among  the  books  I  was  quite  at  ease; 
and  I  soon  found  myself  chatting  about  my 
favourite  authors,  heroes,  and  heroines.  I 
was  quite  pleased  and  surprised  to  discover 
that  we  agreed  about  a  number  of  things. 

" Isn't  it  nice  that  we  like  the  same 
books  ?  "  I  inquired,  as  I  sat  down  on  the 
step-ladder,  a  round  or  two  below  him. 

"Very  nice,  indeed!  I  hope  we  are  going 
to  be  good  friends. ' ' 

I  did  not  answer  for  several  minutes.  I 
turned  over  the  leaves  of  a  large  illustrated 
copy  of  "King  John,"  in  great  confusion, 
remembering  my  words  to  Mammy. 

"Perhaps  you  would  not  want  to  be 
friends  with  me  if  you  knew  something  I 
said  about  you,"  I  said  at  last,  in  a  very 
low  voice. 

' '  Something  you  said  about  me  ?  ' '  said 
my  companion,  in  a  puzzled  tone.  "What 
was  it  ?  " 

"Something  very  wicked.  I  said  —  that 
I  wished  you  were  dead ! ' ' 


Their  Shadows  Before        65 

Mr.  Mortimer  looked  at  me  wonderingly. 

"I  have  wished  the  same  thing  myself 
sometimes,"  he  said  with  a  sigh.  "But 
why  should  you  ? ' ' 

"I  don't!  Indeed,  indeed,  I  don't!"  I 
cried  out  eagerly.  "I  was  angry  because  I 
thought  you  were  —  were  —  well,  not  a  bit 
like  you  are,"  I  stammered  desperately. 

"Well,  then  we  are  even.  You  thought 
I  was  an  ogre,  and  I  am  not  quite  so  bad  as 
that;  and  I  thought  you  were  a  noisy, 
troublesome  boy,  and  here  you  are  a  little 
girl,  who  likes  to  read  books.  I  call  it  a 
fair  exchange,  don't  you?"  He  did  not 
seem  in  the  least  offended,  and  this  added  to 
my  contrition. 

"I  am  very  sorry,"  I  said.  And  then  I 
added,  "If  you  should  get  scarlet  fever  or 
small-pox  or  anything  catching,  you  know, 
I  would  nurse  you  through  it  to  make  up  for 
what  I  said. ' ' 

"Perhaps  you  can  make  amends  some 
other  way;  but,  anyway,  I  forgive  you, 


66        Their  Shadows  Before 

Now  don't  you  think,  on  the  whole,  that 
we  can  be  friends  ? ' ' 

"Yes." 

"Then  we  shall  be?" 

"Yes." 

"Well,  that's  a  bargain." 

"I  am  glad  you're  different, —  not  like 
what  I  thought  you  would  be, "  I  remarked 
candidly,  after  this  agreement  had  been  rati 
fied  by  a  hand-shake. 

"How  did  you  think  I  should  look?  "  in 
quired  my  tutor,  with  some  curiosity  in  his 
voice.  ' '  Like  the  ogre  ? ' ' 

"Oh,  no,— but  different." 

"How?" 

"Not  so  much  like  the  prince  in  the 
fairy-tale  book,"  I  admitted.  "You  look 
very  much  like  him,  only  not  quite  so  "  — 
I  paused  abruptly  on  the  brink  of  an  unflat 
tering  bit  of  discrimination. 

"  'Not  quite  so'  what?"  demanded  Mr. 
Mortimer. 

"Not  quite  so  handsome,"  I  replied,  try 
ing  very  hard  to  palliate  the  truth. 


Their  Shadows  Before        67 

" Still  you  see  a  resemblance?"  asked 
Mr.  Mortimer,  gravely. 

"Oh,  yes:  it's  very  strong. " 

"Well,  I  could  not  expect  to  be  up  with 
the  prince  in  good  looks."  And  he 
laughed.  At  this  moment  the  jingle  of  my 
grandmother's  keys  was  audible. 

"Now  I  must  go,"  I  said  decidedly;  "for 
grandmamma  will  be  here  in  a  minute,  and, 
besides,  I  must  get  my  collect  for  to 
morrow.  ' ' 

"Tell  me  first  what  made  you  change  your 
mind,"  he  said,  barring  the  way  down  the 
ladder  with  his  arm. 

"I  think  it  was  the  crutch." 

"Was  that  all?" 

"The  crutch  and  —  other  things,"  I  re 
plied  indefinitely,  as  I  stepped  down. 

As  the  mistress  of  the  house  appeared 
through  one  door,  I  made  my  exit  through 
the  other;  for  I  knew  that  Daphne  and 
Celeste  were  outside,  impatiently  waiting 
for  me  to  join  them.  In  the  afternoon  my 


68        Their  Shadows  Before 

grandfather  and  Mr.  Mortimer  drove  over  to 
a  neighbouring  plantation  to  look  at  some 
blooded  stock  that  the  master  of  Winston 
Manor  had  long  coveted,  and  was  now  try 
ing  to  purchase.  As  they  did  not  get  back 
until  long  after  my  bedtime  hour,  I  did  not 
have  any  further  talk  with  Mr.  Mortimer 
until  the  next  day.  But  the  sense  of  my 
own  unworthiness  was  so  strong  upon  me 
that  I  was  much  less  imperious  than  usual 
with  my  humble  playfellows,  and  made  so 
many  concessions  to  the  trio  that  they  im 
mediately  took  advantage  of  my  amiability 
to  inveigle  me  into  a  promise  to  go  with 
them  on  Sunday  afternoon  to  "min*  de 
gap.  "  Now  "minding  the  gap  "  was  some 
thing  of  a  cynosure ;  and,  as  it  relieved  the 
little  negroes  from  the  more  arduous  tasks 
of  cleaning  knives,  weeding  the  garden- 
beds,  or  that  most  uncongenial  of  all  duties, 
"totin'  water  fer  Mammy,"  this  occupation 
was  eagerly  sought. 

At  all  times  and  seasons  there  were  cer- 


Their  Shadows  Before        69 

tain  places  in  the  enclosures  that  separated 
those  parts  of  the  plantation  that  were  being 
cultivated,  from  the  grazing  fields  that  were 
broken  down.  These  openings,  or  "gaps, " 
had  to  be  guarded  by  relays  of  little  ne 
groes,  who  found  lolling  under  the  trees, 
with  nothing  more  to  engage  their  energies 
than  an  occasional  sortie  upon  some  stray 
sheep  or  cow,  a  most  agreeable  occupation. 

I  had  some  misgivings  as  to  whether 
Sunday  were  a  proper  time  for  such  an  ex 
cursion  ;  but,  as  I  felt  sure  I  could  gain  my 
grandmother's  consent  if  I  surprised  her 
with  a  perfect  recitation  of  my  Bible  and 
Prayer-book  lessons,  I  gave  a  half-way  prom 
ise  to  my  insistent  companions,  and  then 
retired  to  my  room  to  absorb  as  much  of  the 
Litany  and  Thirty-nine  Articles  as  I  deemed 
necessary  to  propitiate  my  grandmother. 


Chapter  V. 

SUNDAY  dawned  hot  and  cloudless.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  spirit  of  midsummer 
had  come  back  to  remind  us  of  the  lilies 
and  roses  that  had  died  by  the  breath  of  the 
frost ;  and  the  autumnal  colouring  of  leaf  and 
stalk  looked  vulgarly  garish  and  untimely  in 
the  hot,  quivering  air.  Such  days  are  known 
sometimes  in  the  advanced  autumn  season  in 
Virginia.  I  had  eclipsed  my  own  expecta 
tions  in  regard  to  my  Sunday  morning  exer 
cises.  Indeed,  my  grandmother's  pleased 
surprise  at  my  prompt  replies  and  repetitions 
was  not  flattering  to  my  usual  attempts  in 
this  line  of  effort;  but,  since  my  glibness 
had  attained  the  desired  permission  to  ac 
company  Charity,  Daphne,  and  Celeste  on 
their  projected  pilgrimage,  I  did  not  care 
very  much. 

"  Now  that  I  see  that  you  can  give  me 
perfect  recitations,"  she  had  remarked,  "  I 
shall  not  put  up  with  any  more  slipshod 


Their  Shadows  Before        71 

ones.  Remember  that,  Penelope;  and, 
furthermore,  after  this  afternoon  there  are 
to  be  no  more  Sunday  tramps  with  the  negro 
children.  You  may  go  to-day,  as  it  is  the 
end  of  your  holiday.  I  think  we  shall  prob 
ably  dine  with  your  cousin  Kitty  Braxton 
to-day.  So  be  a  good,  discreet  child  until 
we  get  home. ' ' 

After  this  and  sundry  other  injunctions, 
my  grandmother,  who  was  a  most  punctilious 
churchwoman,  hurried  downstairs,  and  after 
much  coaxing  persuaded  my  grandfather  to 
get  into  the  carriage.  This  was  the  invaria 
ble  routine  every  Sunday  morning.  It  al 
ways  ended,  after  a  series  of  gradually 
weakening  objections  and  excuses,  in  my  re 
spected  grandfather's  allowing  himself,  in 
more  than  one  sense  of  the  word,  to  be  driven 
to  church. 

Mr.  Mortimer  had  boldly  announced  his 
intention  of  devoting  the  morning  to  letter- 
writing;  and  my  grandmother  was  obliged 
to  accept  the  announcement  without  a  word, 


72        Their  Shadows  Before 

though  she  showed  such  cold  disapproval  in 
her  face  that  he  looked  like  a  culprit  as  he 
bade  her  "good-morning"  at  the  carriage 
window. 

I  had  escaped  by  virtue  of  my  recent  in 
disposition,  due  to  the  incident  of  the  pre 
vious  Thursday.  I  think  my  grandparents 
must  have  requested  that  no  mention  should 
be  made  to  me  concerning  the  affair;  for, 
to  my  intense  relief,  nobody  said  a  word  to 
me  about  it. 

Dinner  was  a  short  affair.  Mr.  Morti 
mer  was  preoccupied  and  silent,  and  I  felt 
all  of  my  old  shyness  envelop  me  as  in  a 
garment,  while  Miss  Semiramis  Dove  sat 
at  the  side  table  and  poured  the  tea. 

Hurrying  as  much  as  decorum  allowed,  I 
excused  myself  and  ran  out  on  the  lawn, 
where  more  agreeable  company  was  await 
ing  me. 

As  the  result  of  a  process  at  the  hands 
of  their  respective  "  mammies,"  and  known 
in  the  quarters  as  "cardin',"  the  heads 


Their  Shadows  Before        73 

of  my  three  comrades  had  undergone  a 
mysterious  and  sudden  change.  Relieved 
from  their  "wrappings"  of  white  cotton 
thread,  which  had  held  innumerable  small 
tufts  of  short  crinkly  hair  in  bondage,  each 
head  was  now  crowned  with  an  enormous 
mat  of  black  wool,  that  stood  out  stiffly  all 
around,  and  appeared  utterly  to  dwarf  the 
diminutive  figure  that  seemed  scarcely  suffi 
cient  to  support  the  structure. 

Unconscious  of  any  such  startling  effect, 
Daphne,  Celeste,  and  Charity,  resplendent 
in  their  Sunday  frocks  and  bead  necklaces, 
hastened  to  greet  me. 

"I  gwine  ter  keep  dis  side  uv  Missy! " 

"  I  gwine  ter  keep  in  front,  an'  hoi'  de 
brambles  back  for  her ! ' ' 

"  I  ith  gwine  ter  walk  behin'  her,  tho  I 
kin  walk  in  her  tracks ! ' '  were  the  exclama 
tions  of  my  guides,  as  we  set  out  upon  our 
journey. 

"  How  far  is  it?  "  I  asked,  looking  down 
rather  dubiously  at  my  low  red  shoes. 


74        Their  Shadows  Before 

"La!  'tain't  no  ways  ter  de  gap  atter 
you  pass  de  stile,"  said  Daphne.  And,  as 
I  did  not  wish  to  seem  lacking  in  physical 
strength,  I  did  not  inquire  anything  further 
about  the  distance  to  the  stile.  We  had  not 
gone  far  when  I  heard  the  thumpety-thump 
of  a  crutch  on  the  gravelly  path. 

Daphne  began  to  roll  her  eyes  ominously. 

"  Who  want  you  hobblin'  along  here?" 
she  inquired,  as  Lame  Jim  joined  us. 

"  I  thought  mebbe  Missy  mout  be  skeered 
uv  de  ole  ram,"  he  said  apologetically. 

11  Ain't  nobody  'feered  uv  dat  ole  ram, 
lessen  it's  you,"  was  the  rejoinder.  "  You 
jes  go  'long  back  whar  you  come  f'om. " 

But  this  did  not  please  me. 

"  /want  him,"  I  said  decisively.  "  And 
you  ought  to  be  more  polite,"  I  said  to 
Daphne.  "  Come  on,  Jim." 

Now  my  handmaidens  were  jealous  of 
Jim's  recent  distinction.  So  they  began  to 
persecute  him  forthwith.  Daphne  surrepti 
tiously  kicked  the  dust  over  him  as  she 


Their  Shadows  Before        75 

went  along;  while  Celeste  and  Charity  were 
solicitous  in  their  inquiries  as  to  which  leg 
he  preferred,  the  long  one,  the  short  one,  or 
the  wooden  one. 

"  Very  well,"  I  said  at  last,  "Jim  be 
longs  to  me;  and  I  won't  have  any  one  un 
kind  to  him.  If  you  all  don't  stop,  I  will 
go  straight  home. ' ' 

"  Jes'  listen  to  Missy!"  cried  the  diplo 
matic  Celeste.  "  We  jes'  foolin'."  After 
which  there  were  no  more  jibes. 

The  "gap"  was  indeed  a  pleasant  spot. 
A  group  of  oaks  made  a  refreshing  shelter 
where  the  enclosures  had  fallen  down,  and 
here  we  seated  ourselves  on  the  lichen- 
covered  stones  that  once  had  formed  a  part 
of  the  road  that  separated  the  grazing  fields 
from  the  plantation  road.  A  stream  ran 
parallel  with  the  tobacco  lands  on  the  other 
side  of  the  road,  making  a  pleasant  sound  as 
it  rippled  over  its  rocky  bed. 

The  sleepy  cry  of  a  whip-poor-will  in  the 
neighbouring  thicket,  the  cough  of  a  squirrel 


76       Their  Shadows  Before 

from  some  leafy  retreat,  and  the  monotonous 
tap-tap  of  a  persistent  woodpecker  were  the 
only  sounds  that  broke  the  stillness.  The 
drowsiness  of  a  summer  afternoon  fell  upon 
us,  and  we  sat  watching  the  shadows 
dapple  the  grassy  knoll  at  our  feet  in  si 
lence. 

11  Over  yonder,  whar  de  smoke's  a-puffin', 
is  whar  Aun'  Mimie  live,"  remarked 
Daphne,  at  last,  as  she  pointed  to  an  iso 
lated  cabin  that  stood  in  the  midst  of  a 
little  corn-patch  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
brook. 

"  Why  doesn't  she  live  in  the  quarters?  " 
I  inquired.  An  awed  expression  appeared 
in  Daphne's  face,  as  she  answered,  "  Aun' 
Mimie  ar  er  conjure  ooman. " 

"That's  very  foolish,"  I  said  rather 
sternly.  "  There  is  no  such  thing  as  '  con 
juring.  ' 

"  Mebbe  dey  ain't,  mebbe  dey  is,"  per 
sisted  Daphne. 

"  You  don't  believe  in  such  things,  Jim, 
do  you  ?  "  I  asked,  turning  to  the  boy. 


Their  Shadows  Before        77 

Jim  shifted  his  crutch.  "  Granny  say 
Aim'  Mimie  works  spells  an'  cha'ms, "  he 
said  dubiously. 

"  Oh,  you  are  all  afraid  of  her!  "  I  said 
with  some  contempt. 

"  I  ain't  afeered, "  put  in  Celeste,  virtu 
ously.  "  Kathe  er  conjure  ooman  is  jes  per- 
cisthly  lak  witches.  Dey  cyant  croth 
water. ' '  And  Celeste  pointed  to  the  stream, 
which  she  evidently  regarded  as  a  safety 
line,  with  a  grin. 

"Why,  Aunt  Mimie  comes  to  the  quar 
ters  almost  every  day,"  I  reasoned.  "  So 
her  power  is  broken. ' '  But  the  three  woolly 
mats  shook  in  unison. 

"Huccum  her  kin  work  spells,  den?" 
queried  Charity. 

"  She  does  not  do  anything  of  the  kind, 
of  course,"  I  asserted.  "Isn't  the  foot 
bridge  around  the  bend  ?  ' ' 

"  Yes,  Miss  Pensie,  it  ar, "  said  Daphne, 
solemnly.  "  But  I  wouldn't  cross  dat  brook 
an'  tech  my  foot  on  dat  groun',  —  not  fer 


78        Their  Shadows  Before 

nothin'  !     Aim'    Mimic's  got  er  pet  rattler 
over  dere. ' ' 

For  a  moment  I  was  daunted.  But  the 
spirit  of  adventure  was  strong  upon  me  that 
afternoon.  So,  after  some  consideration,  I 
said :  "  I  don't  believe  it.  I  am  not  afraid. 
I  am  going  over  there,  and  ask  her  if  she  has 
a  rattlesnake." 

A  look  of  terror  appeared  in  the  black 
visages  before  me.  There  was  a  pause,  and 
then  Daphne  spoke :  — 

"Well,  I  ain'  gwine  nary  step!  I  am' 
gwine  ter  hev  it  on  my  min'  ter  tell  Master 
an'  Mist  is  how  it  was  me  what  took  Miss 
Pensie  over  yonder  whar  she  got  p'izened  by 
er  rattler!"  And  Daphne  assumed  a  look 
of  grave  responsibility. 

"  Rattlesnake  p'izen  mek  er  pusson  turned 
spotted  same  as  er  toad, ' '  commented  Charity ; 
while  Celeste  wailed,  "Mith  Penthie  ar 
gwine  git  us  all  under  der  spell,  dat  what 
she  fixin'  fer,  sho  !  " 

"  I'll  go  by  my  self!"  I  said  scornfully. 
"  You  are  all  of  you  afraid!" 


Their  Shadows  Before        79 

"  Ef  Missy  gwine,  I  gwine  'long  wid 
her,"  announced  Jim,  valiantly.  "  Dis 
here  crutch  could  brack  mos'  any  rattle's 
hade,  I  reck  in." 

This  was  a  more  hopeful  outlook,  and  I 
manifested  due  appreciation  of  Lame  Jim's 
valour  and  discretion. 

"Heardat  thunder  a-bellowin' ?  "  asked 
Celeste,  the  artful  one,  presently.  "We  heap 
better  go  'long  home  'fo'  de  rain  ketch  us 
an'  sp'ile  Mith  Penthie's  red  shoeth. " 

I  looked  up.  Celeste  was  certainly  right. 
The  sky  had  suddenly  overclouded,  and  the 
oppressive  atmosphere  betokened  a  storm. 

"  Well,  it's  a  great  deal  nearer  to  Aunt 
Mimie's  cabin  than  it  is  to  home,"  I  an 
swered.  "  But,  after  all,  it  may  not  rain 
until  night. " 

Lame  Jim  had  risen  during  this  conversa 
tion.  He  hobbled  over  to  the  edge  of  the 
pasture,  and  surveyed  the  outstretched  fields 
with  keen  eyes.  As  he  stood  there,  sud 
denly  there  came  to  us  a  long  rumbling 


8o        Their  Shadows  Before 

sound  that  made  our  hearts  stand  still  with 
terror.  A  moment  later  the  ground  beneath 
us  seemed  to  vibrate  with  motion,  as  the 
thud  of  frantic  hoofs  came  nearer  and  nearer. 

''Quick,  Missy!  Quick!"  cried  Jim. 
"  Squire  Travis' s  wil'  bull  done  got  loose! 
Run!  Run!" 

In  one  terrified  glance  I  saw  it  all.  From 
the  thicket  at  our  left,  and  bearing  down 
directly  upon  us,  rushed  the  infuriated 
animal. 

Like  a  covey  of  frightened  birds,  Daphne, 
Charity,  and  Celeste  were  scudding  away 
toward  the  only  visible  refuge, —  Aunt 
Mimie's  cabin. 

My  heart  beat  so  that  I  could  scarcely 
breathe. 

"  Run,  Missy,  run!"  reiterated  Jim. 
"  Don't  you  wait  fer  me!"  He  had  dis 
carded  his  crutch,  and,  considering  his  in 
firmity,  was  getting  over  the  ground  with  re 
markable  speed,  though  he  lagged  a  yard  or 
two  behind  me. 


Their  Shadows  Before        81 

We  could  hear  the  clank  of  the  iron  chain 
that  dangled  from  a  ring  in  the  animal's 
nose,  as  it  struck  against  the  stones  in  the 
road.  The  ponderous  thud  of  the  hoofs,  as 
they  tore  up  the  earth  in  their  progress, 
came  nearer  and  nearer,  as  we  sped  on. 
Only  a  few  yards  ahead  of  us  was  the  foot 
bridge  that  spanned  the  brook  where  the 
banks  were  highest.  Only  a  few  yards  be 
tween  us  and  safety !  If  we  could  only  reach 
it !  Suddenly  a  cry  broke  from  my  com 
panion: — 

"Run,  Missy,  run!  I  done  played 
out!  "  And  the  boy  stumbled  and  almost 
fell.  For  a  single  instant  I  wavered.  Then 
a  sense  of  the  undying  shame  of  cowardice 
swept  over  me.  To  leave  a  comrade  help 
less  and  in  danger,  and  that  comrade  my 
slave  and  lame!  Never!  I  turned  back; 
and,  seizing  him  by  the  arm,  I  began  drag 
ging  him  along,  while  I  called  out  franti 
cally :  "You  must  run!  You  shall  run,  I 
say,  or  we'll  be  killed!  " 


82        Their  Shadows  Before 

Perhaps  my  words  gave  him  new  courage : 
perhaps  my  will  dominated  him.  But,  at 
any  rate,  he  made  one  last  great  effort,  as 
we  rushed  on ;  for  the  bull  was  gaining  upon 
us.  On,  on  !  The  bridge  seemed  but  a  step 
away,  and  death  was  behind ! 

Just  as  we  reached  the  goal,  a  blinding 
flash  of  lightning  shot  across  the  lowering 
sky,  followed  by  a  deafening  crash  of  thun 
der.  I  stumbled  and  lost  my  shoe.  As  I 
turned  my  head,  I  felt  the  hot  breath  of  our 
pursuer  on  my  face,  while  an  angry  roar 
filled  the  air.  At  the  same  instant  a  dwarf 
ish  figure  sprang  out  from  a  clump  of  su 
mach  bushes,  and  with  Herculean  strength 
hurled  a  bowlder  straight  at  the  animal's 
head.  The  creature  was  stunned  apparently. 
With  a  quick  movement,  our  deliverer 
caught  up  the  chain,  and,  slipping  nimbly 
to  one  side  of  the  beast,  began  to  utter  a 
monotonous,  crooning  sort  of  sound.  The 
bull  trembled,  and  slowly  reared  its  bleed 
ing  head.  We  had  stopped  midway  on  the 


Their  Shadows  Before        83 

narrow  plank,  and  stood  fascinated  by  the 
singular  scene. 

With  one  hand  the  man  motioned  to  us 
to  go  on,  pointing  to  the  sky  and  then  to 
the  cabin.  And  we  obeyed.  I  noticed  that 
his  hand  was  spotted,  and  I  knew  this  was 
Mammy's  visitor. 

The  rain  was  falling  in  great  drops  by 
this  time;  and,  with  a  sigh  of  gratitude 
and  relief,  I  knocked  boldly  at  the  door  of 
the  "  conjure  woman's  "  house.  The  latch 
was  drawn  almost  instantly.  The  tall, 
straight  figure  of  the  old  woman  had  some 
thing  of  stateliness  in  its  pose,  as  she  stood 
in  the  doorway  before  us. 

"  Please,  Aunt  Mimie,  may  we  come 
in?"  I  asked. 

The  aquiline  brown  features  showed  no 
trace  of  surprise,  as  she  opened  the  door  and 
bade  us  enter.  I  paused  at  the  door  to  watch 
the  negro  who  had  saved  us  walk  quietly 
down  the  road,  leading  the  bull  by  the  chain. 

"Look,  look!"   I  exclaimed  in  wonder. 


84        Their  Shadows  Before 

"  Unc'  Nat  done  it  by  de  spell  uv  wavin' 
hands,"  said  Jim,  in  an  awed  whisper. 

The  word  "spell"  reminded  me  of  our 
hostess's  supposed  gifts,  and  I  glanced 
around  at  her  uneasily.  Huddled  in  a  cor 
ner  on  the  floor  sat  the  inglorious  trio,  their 
faces  ashy  and  their  eyes  bulging  from  the 
sockets. 

"  So  de  lee!'  lady  have  come  to  de  house 
of  Mimie,  de  slave?"  said  the  old  woman, 
in  sibilant  tones,  quite  unlike  the  ordinary 
accent  of  the  negroes  on  our  place. 

' '  Yes, ' '  I  answered,  as  I  took  the  chair 
she  offered  me.  "  The  bull  and  the  rain 
drove  me ;  but  I  would  have  come,  anyway. ' ' 

A  sputtering  cough  from  the  corner  in 
formed  me  that  Celeste  was  trying  to  engage 
my  attention.  I  looked  at  her,  and  saw  her 
eyes  fixed  in  glassy  horror  on  my  face.  I 
understood  at  once  that  she  wished  to  convey 
to  me  that  I  must  not  ask  Aunt  Mimie  any 
thing  about  her  occult  powers. 

"  De  leel'    lady  would   have    come  —  fer 


Their  Shadows  Before        85 

what  ?  ' '  asked  my  hostess,  eyeing  me  with, 
grave  attention. 

This  direct  question  was  slightly  embar 
rassing,  but  I  was  determined  to  satisfy  my 
self  as  far  as  was  possible  on  certain  points. 

"  I  wanted  to  ask  you  if  you  kept  a  pet 
rattlesnake, —  Daphne  said  you  did, —  and  if 
you  are  a  conjurer, —  something  like  the 
Witch  of  Endor, —  only,"  I  added  politely, 
' '  not  nearly  so  bad  as  that,  of  course. ' ' 

"  Does  de  leel'  lady  want  ter  know  what 
I  be  ?  "  she  said  slowly. 

"  Yes,  if  you  don't  mind  telling. " 

"  My  people  know  many  t'ings  in  de  far- 
off  lan's  of  de  palm  an'  cocoa  trees,  —  many 
t'ings  white  man  not  know.  My  fader  was 
Ndongo,  de  king.  He  fight.  Dey  kill 
him, —  de  men  uv  de  Mpongue  tribe.  Dey 
sell  me  ter  white  man:  I  come  on  de  big 
ship. ' '  She  paused  for  a  moment,  and  I 
waited  breathlessly  for  her  to  resume  her 
story.  "  To-day  I  am  Mimie,  de  slave. 
Den  I  was  King  Ndongo' s  chile,  de  Princess 


86        Their  Shadows  Before 

Tarra  Warra.  Yes,  —  wuk  in  de  fiel'  in 
de  daytime;  but,  when  de  night  come,  I 
lays  down  an'  dreams  back  de  palm  and  de 
cocoa  groves. ' ' 

My  eyes  grew  moist.  I  put  out  a  timid 
hand  on  the  knee  of  African  royalty. 

' '  I  am  very  sorry  for  you,  Princess  Tarra 
Warra." 

She  bowed  her  head  low  on  her  chest,  and 
muttered  some  strange  words  I  could  not 
understand. 

Lame  Jim  and  the  little  negroes,  who  had 
scarcely  heard  the  old  woman's  low  words, 
took  for  granted  that  she  was  repeating  some 
incantation  over  me;  and  they  cowered  ab 
jectly  in  the  corner,  not  daring  to  move 
while  she  spoke.  The  strange  story  had 
filled  me  with  a  new  and  strange  sensation. 
This  old  woman,  who  belonged  to  my  grand 
father,  who  worked  for  him,  had  once  run 
about  naked  in  her  father's  bamboo  village, 
savage,  —  but  free !  And  she  was  really  and 
truly  born  a  princess ! 


Their  Shadows  Before        87 

I  was  startled  from  this  train  of  thought 
when  there  came  a  loud  knock  at  the  door. 
Aunt  Mimie  went  forward,  and  ushered  in 
Mr.  Mortimer.  He  had  a  waterproof  cloak 
on  his  arm,  and  he  looked  annoyed. 
"Come, "  he  said.  "Miss  Semiramis  Dove 
and  your  nurse  are  very  uneasy  about  you. 
The  buggy  is  on  the  other  side. ' '  Then, 
glancing  down,  he  saw  that  I  had  on  only 
one  shoe. 

"I'll  come  back  some  day,  Aunt  Mimie/' 
I  said,  as  I  followed  Mr.  Mortimer  out  of 
the  door.  "Go  on  ahead,"  he  said  to  the 
children ;  and  then,  lifting  me  up  in  his 
arms,  he  carried  me  across  the  bridge,  and 
placed  me  in  the  buggy.  "What's  this?" 
he  said,  stooping  down  to  pick  up  something. 

Wiping  off  the  mud  with  a  corner  of  the 
lap-robe,  he  handed  me  a  small  red  shoe. 
"Here,  Cinderella,"  he  said,  as  he  whipped 
up  the  horse  into  a  brisk  trot.  "Now,  if 
this  were  a  coach  and  four,  I  would  be  more 
like  the  prince  than  ever." 


88        Their  Shadows  Before 

But  my  mind  was  full  of  the  story  of  a 
princess  just  now;  and,  as  we  drove  along,  I 
realised  afresh  that  to-morrow  I  would  stand 
confessed  in  all  my  weaknesses. 


Chapter  VI. 

AFTER  the  first  ordeal  was  well  over 
and  my  instruction  under  Mr.  Basil 
Mortimer  had  fully  begun,  I  gradually  grew 
reconciled  to  the  new  order  of  my  life's  rou 
tine.  A  sincere  friendship  had  been  estab 
lished  between  my  tutor  and  myself  during 
the  winter,  and  I  was  making  satisfactory 
progress  in  my  studies.  Mr.  Mortimer,  who 
had  come  to  the  South  to  recuperate  his 
physical  forces  after  a  long  period  of  work 
in  a  Northern  University,  appeared  to  enjoy 
watching  the  new  phases  of  life  that  pre 
sented  themselves  in  this  locality,  and  was 
especially  interested  in  what  he  called 
"negro  characteristics."  He  and  my 
grandfather  used  to  sit  together  in  the  li 
brary  in  the  evenings,  talking  about  a  great 
many  things  that  I  did  not  understand  ex 
actly.  But  I  always  listened,  for  now  and 
then  something  would  be  said  that  I  could 
comprehend  clearly  enough  to  set  me  think- 


90        Their  Shadows  Before 

ing  for  days.  It  was  during  those  winter 
evening  talks,  I  think,  that  a  new  aspect  of 
my  surroundings  came  to  my  childish  mind. 

One  evening  I  remember  especially.  My 
grandfather  and  Mr.  Mortimer  had  been  dis 
cussing  the  ultimate  solution  of  the  problem 
of  a  slave  population  in  a  republic,  and  my 
grandfather's  voice  sounded  grave  and  trou 
bled. 

"The  trouble  is,"  he  answered  in  reply 
to  some  remark  of  my  tutor,  "that  your 
people  do  not  understand  the  bearings  of 
the  matter.  I  admit  that  the  system  is  a 
bad  one;  but  it  cannot  be  abolished  except 
by  gradual  steps,  without  terrible  and  un 
foreseen  results.  No  :  your  friend  Garrison 
has  the  genius  of  a  fanaticism  that  shapes 
its  course  towards  one  point,  regardless  of  all 
dangers  by  the  way.  Too  sudden  emancipa 
tion  would  be  disastrous  alike  to  master  and 
slave.  Hands  accustomed  to  shackles  are 
weak  hands,  Mr.  Mortimer;  and  the  freedom 
of  a  race  must  be  achieved,  not  bestowed. " 


Their  Shadows  Before        91 

Mr.  Mortimer  looked  deep  into  the  red 
heart  of  the  flames  before  he  answered. 
Then  he  said  slowly:  "Remember  that  the 
black  population  of  this  section  is  year  by 
year  doubling  that  of  the  white.  Men  will 
not  always  remain  ignorant  of  their  strength. 
If  that  freedom  be  indeed  'achieved,'  God 
pity  you!" 

I  did  not  know  what  he  meant,  but  the 
solemn  tone  in  which  the  words  were  ut 
tered  gave  me  the  sensation  of  a  vague 
alarm.  My  grandfather's  next  remark  was 
somewhat  reassuring. 

"You  may  rest  assured  nothing  of  that 
kind  will  ever  be  attempted.  A  movement 
of  that  nature  requires  a  leader,  and  there 
would  be  none. ' ' 

Mr.  Mortimer  lifted  his  hazel  eyes  from 
the  purple  flare  of  a  half -burnt  cedar  log  that 
permeated  the  room  with  a  faint,  incense- 
like  perfume,  and  gazed  earnestly  at  my 
grandfather. 

"There   will    arise   a   Gideon   for   every 


92        Their  Shadows  Before 

Jericho,"  he  said.  "And  every  nation 
brings  forth  an  Elisha,  who  will  one  day 
touch  the  eyes  of  the  multitude,  and  show 
them  the  'horsemen  and  chariots'  that  are 
round  about  them. ' ' 

'Really,  Mortimer,  you  are  wasting  your 
talents,"  quoth  the  squire  of  Winston 
Manor,  with  a  half-cynical,  half-indulgent 
smile.  "The  rostrum  or  the  pulpit  would 
be  the  place  for  you,  without  doubt. ' ' 

Mr.  Mortimer  flushed  a  little.  The  most 
earnest  natures  are  apt  to  be  the  most  sensi 
tive,  because  they  are  usually  the  least  under 
stood,  and  consequently  the  most  frequently 
wounded.  He  felt  that  his  enthusiasm  was 
only  a  target  for  good-natured  ridicule  here. 
So  he  curbed  the  resentment  that  suggested 
a  sharp  retort,  and  answered  pleasantly. 
Until  the  enthusiast  has  arrived  beyond  the 
point  of  mere  sentiment,  his  life  must  be  an 
isolated  one;  but,  when  he  has  mounted  by 
the  paths  of  physical  sacrifice,  petty  hu 
miliations,  and  manifold  struggles  to  that 


Their  Shadows  Before        93 

plane  above  personality,  then,  indeed,  his 
life  becomes  united  with  the  divine  Source 
of  all  life,  and  is  no  more  isolated  or  barren. 
My  tutor  had  not  yet  learned  this  truth; 
and,  with  the  clear  insight  of  childhood,  I 
was  unconsciously  aware  that  he  was  not 
only  misunderstood  sometimes,  but  that  he 
felt  that  he  was.  I  wondered  what  he 
meant  by  talking  about  Elisha  and  Gideon 
to  my  grandfather,  who  never  liked  to  read 
the  Bible,  and  thought  a  sermon  ought  never 
to  last  longer  than  fifteen  minutes.  "What 
makes  him  do  it?"  I  said  to  myself.  "I 
don't  believe  grandpapa  knows  anything 
about  Bible  people."  And  then  I  went  on 
in  an  irrelevant  way,  wondering  what  Mr. 
Mortimer  meant,  and  who  his  ' 'friend  Garri 
son  ' '  was.  Would  it  do  to  ask  ?  It  would 
be  a  good  way  to  change  the  subject,  any 
how  ;  for  somehow  I  did  not  want  the  Script 
ural  ignorance  of  my  respected  relative  to 
stand  confessed.  So  I  made  bold  to  say, 
"Who  is  your  friend  Garrison,  Mr.  Mor 
timer?" 


94        Their  Shadows  Before 

Both  men  turned  abruptly,  and  stared  at 
me  in  a  very  embarrassing  sort  of  fashion. 
My  grandfather  gave  a  little  grunt  that  I 
knew  was  an  expression  of  mixed  amusement 
and  annoyance. 

"God  bless  me,  Penelope!  I  thought 
you  had  a  story-book,"  he  said.  "But  I  am 
glad  you  have  asked  Mr.  Mortimer  about  his 
'friend.'  Perhaps  he  can  tell  you  a  good 
deal  about  him."  The  old  gentleman's 
voice  had  a  distinctly  aggressive  note  in  it. 
I  felt  that  my  good  intentions  were  come  to 
naught,  as  I  turned  to  Mr.  Mortimer. 

"Mr.  Garrison  is  a  good  man,  Penelope, 
who  lives  in  Boston,  where  I  live,  you 
know;  and  he  wants  some  very  sad  condi 
tions  in  the  world  to  be  changed." 

"In  other  words,"  struck  in  my  grand 
father,  "he's  an  'Abolitionist,'  my  dear; 
and  now  it  is  your  bedtime.  Such  big 
words  and  big  subjects  are  beyond  a  little 
maid's  understanding." 

"But  what  is  an  'Abolitionist'?"   I  in- 


Their  Shadows  Before       95 

quired,  as  I  put  my  book  down  slowly. 
"I  think  they  must  be  good;  for  Miss  Se 
ra  iramis  Dove  says  Mr.  Mortimer  is  one,  be 
cause  he  reads  the  Bible  aloud  to  the  slaves 
in  the  quarters,  and  teaches  some  of  them. ' ' 

My  simple  words   had  a    curious    effect. 

Mr.  Mortimer's  face  grew  pale,  while  my 
grandfather's  countenance  took  on  the  un 
mistakable  hue  of  wrath.  "Miss  Semiramis 
Dove  is  an  old  fool!  "  he  thundered.  "An 
Abolitionist  is  a  sneaking,  meddling  fellow 
that  wants  to  come  here  and  set  the  negroes 
free  and  turn  ladies  and  gentlemen  into  beg 
gars  !  Now,  Mortimer,  you  see, ' '  he  said, 
turning  to  my  tutor.  "I  knew  how  it  would 
be.  I  have  no  objection  to  your  making  the 
best  of  them  that  can  be  made;  but  I  warn 
you,  you  are  on  dangerous  ground  !  ' ' 

"I  can  hold  my  own,"  answered  the 
Northerner.  "And,  as  to  the  danger,  I 
don't  care  that!"  And  he  snapped  his 
fingers. 

"Well,    grandpapa,"   I    remarked  with  a 


96        Their  Shadows  Before 

candour  that  I  did  not  always  use  in  my 
ancestor's  moments  of  irritation,  "of  course, 
it  is  very  wicked  to  want  to  make  us 
poor;  but,  if  those  people  want  to  set  the 
slaves  free,  why,  I  am  an  Abolitionist, 
too!  " 

"Go  to  bed!  Go  to  bed!"  said  my 
grandfather,  sternly.  But,  as  I  went  up  the 
stairs,  I  distinctly  heard  the  sound  of  laugh 
ter. 

I  went  to  bed  with  the  satisfactory  reflec 
tion  that,  at  least,  I  had  defined  my  position 
in  the  matter,  and  with  a  great  deal  of 
thought  about  what  Miss  Semiramis  Dove 
had  said,  and  much  wondering  as  to  what 
mysterious  dangers  lurked  about  my  tutor's 
path. 

But  these  vague  apprehensions  gradually 
faded  from  my  mind  and  were  forgotten,  as 
the  long  months  passed  and  the  daily  tenor 
of  our  lives  was  undisturbed  by  any  unusual 
happening. 

Mr.  Mortimer's  Bible  class  for  the  slaves 


Their  Shadows  Before        97 

on  Sunday  afternoons  had  become  an  estab 
lished  custom,  but  how  much  benefit  re 
sulted  therefrom  it  was  not  easy  to  say. 
My  grandfather  shrugged  his  shoulders  at 
the  Evangelical  experiments,  as  he  called 
Mr.  Mortimer's  efforts;  and  I  think  my 
tutor  himself  sometimes  felt  that  perhaps, 
after  all,  my  grandmother's  simple  reading 
of  the  Word  and  Prayer-book  ritual  was 
more  efficacious  than  his  most  earnest  talks. 

"  Young  Mars'  Mortimer,  he  mighty  fine 
gen'elman,"  confided  Uncle  Isham  to  me 
one  day.  "But  it  do  seem  like  ole  Miss' 
readin'  uv  de  Lord's  own  testermony  straight 
f'om  de  mouf  give  mo'  p'inted  noshuns  uv 
Heben  an'  Hell  an'  de  Jedgement  to  de 
righteous  sheaves  an'  de  ongodly  chaff, 
honey. ' ' 

And  so,  I  think,  was  the  case  in  truth.  I 
pondered  much  upon  this  remark  of  our 
plantation  oracle,  and  the  justice  of  it  re 
curred  to  my  mind  in  later  years. 

As  the  early  spring  advanced,  Mr.    Mor- 


98        Their  Shadows  Before 

timer  began  teaching  me  something  of  bot 
any.  His  simple,  direct  method  of  in 
struction  was  well  adapted  to  my  mind; 
and  our  afternoon  excursions  into  the 
woods  in  quest  of  specimens  gave  me  infinite 
delight.  One  evening  we  had  somewhat  ex 
tended  the  limits  of  our  usual  jaunts,  for 
Mr.  Mortimer  had  promised  to  show  me  the 
anatomy  of  some  wild  growth  near  the 
swampy  region.  We  had  walked  quite  a 
distance,  and  I  was  beginning  to  feel  tired. 

' ' Let's  rest,"  I  said  at  last.  "Over 
there  is  an  arm-chair  big  enough  for  both  of 
us. ' '  And  I  pointed  to  a  great  tree  not  far 
from  us,  whose  fantastically  gnarled  and 
outspread  roots  formed  the  outlines  of  a 
high-backed  seat. 

"This  is  your  throne,"  laughed  Mr.  Mor 
timer.  And,  twisting  a  branch  of  wild 
grape-vine  into  a  chaplet,  he  placed  it  upon 
my  head,  as  I  seated  myself  and  removed  my 
shade  hat. 

"Now  you  are  queen  of  the  realm." 


Their  Shadows  Before        99 

"You  must  be  the  king,"  I  said  quite 
simply.  Mr.  Mortimer  smiled. 

"So  you  are  willing  to  share  your  empire 
with  me?  I  am  afraid  I  would  not  be  a 
worthy  sovereign  of  your  domain,  little 
girl, ' '  he  said  with  a  sigh. 

"Oh,  yes,  you  are  a  great  deal  better  than 
I  am,"  I  replied  hastily.  And  then  an  im 
pulse  to  tell  him  all  about  the  evil  deed 
that  had  all  these  long  months  oppressed  my 
conscience  seized  me. 

"Please  don't  think  I  am  good,  Mr.  Mor 
timer.  I  am  not.  I  did  something  that 
was  very  bad  once,  —  almost  as  bad  as  being 
a  liar  or  a  thief.  I  —  I  —  listened  to  what 
was  not  meant  for  me  to  hear.  I  heard 
grandfather  talking  to  you  the  day  after  you 
came  to  the  manor,  and  I  heard  you  say  I 
must  be  a  noble  little  girl.  I  did  not  mean 
to  eavesdrop;  but  I  was  behind  the  curtains 
in  the  library,  and  I  was  afraid  to  come  out 
after  you  came  in.  You  never  will  think 
well  of  me  again;  but,  anyway,  I've  told 


ioo      Their  Shadows  Before 

you  the  truth."  And  I  covered  my  face 
with  my  hands,  and  tried  to  hide  the  tears 
that  stood  in  my  eyes. 

Mr.  Mortimer  placed  a  firm  hand  beneath 
my  quivering  chin,  and  turned  my  scarlet 
face  up  to  his  own. 

' 'Yes:  you  have  not  only  told  the  truth, 
but  you  have  been  very  true.  Try  to  be 
brave,  and  all  the  rest  will  follow.  Coward 
ice  makes  most  of  the  falseness.  But  I 
have  not  shown  you  the  queer  little  plants 
yet.  Do  you  know  the  way  here  ? ' ' 

"Oh,  yes,"  I  replied.  "I  have  been 
here  with  Cynthy  and  Celeste  often. "  And 
then  we  walked  on  for  some  distance  in 
silence. 

"How  queer  everything  looks!"  I  ex 
claimed  suddenly.  "Look!  We  are  almost 
in  the  bog ! ' ' 

A  long  stretch  of  bog- land,  intersected  by 
dark  pools  of  water,  and  thickly  studded  with 
a  dwarfish  pine  growth  known  in  this  region 
as  "cypress  knees,"  lay  to  our  right.  At  a 


Their  Shadows  Before      101 

short  distance  directly  in  front  of  us  was  an 
extensive  lake,  or  pond,  of  slimy,  stagnant 
water;  while  to  our  left  stretched  a  dense 
expanse  of  woodland.  Mr.  Mortimer  looked 
at  his  watch,  and  then  at  the  narrow  strip  of 
sky  overhead. 

"There  must  be  a  short  cut  through  to 
the  path  we  have  lost,  somewhere  near,  that 
will  take  us  back  to  the  plantation,"  he  said 
cheerfully.  But  his  annoyance,  or  the 
shadow,  perhaps,  made  him  look  pale. 
"Let  us  try  this  way:  the  manor  must  be 
due  north  of  this  spot. ' ' 

The  leaves  I  had  gathered  fell  unheeded 
from  my  hand,  as  Mr.  Mortimer  took  it 
within  his  own  close  grasp.  Each  step, 
however,  seemed  but  to  increase  our  difficul 
ties.  The  growth  of  trees  grew  denser; 
and  the  soggy,  yielding  quality  of  the  earth 
under  our  feet  warned  us  that  we  were  ap 
proaching  the  dreaded  bogs.  I  shivered  as 
I  felt  my  feet  suddenly  sink  ankle-deep  into 
an  ooze  of  mire, 


102      Their  Shadows  Before 

"We  must  not  attempt  to  go  any  farther," 
said  Mr.  Mortimer.  "Are  you  frightened?" 

"Not  very,  but  my  feet  are  wet  and  cold. " 

"The  best  thing  we  can  do  will  be  to 
climb  up  on  the  boughs  of  one  of  those  trees 
there,  and  wait  until  they  come  for  us.  It 
will  not  do  for  you  to  stand  on  this  damp 
ground."  He  turned  and  lifted  me  in  his 
strong  arms.  "Can  you  climb?  " 

"Like  a  cat,"  I  replied,  as  I  swung  myself 
up  from  his  shoulder  on  to  a  branch  that 
grew  rather  low. 

"You  come,  too." 

Mr.  Mortimer  followed  my  example,  and  I 
could  not  refrain  from  laughing  at  the  droll 
tableau  he  made. 

Night,  like  a  mantle,  was  enfolding  us. 
I  crept  closer  to  my  companion. 

"What  a  thin  frock  you're  wearing!  "  he 
said,  touching  my  sleeve.  And  in  an  in 
stant  he  had  taken  off  his  coat,  and  wrapped 
me  in  it. 

"Please  don't:  you'll  freeze,"  I  pleaded. 


Their  Shadows  Before      103 

But  I  only  felt  a  strong,  protecting  arm  en 
circle  my  small  shivering  form.  We  were 
both  silent  as  the  slow  hours  dragged  by. 

"Somebody  will  come  for  us,"  I  kept 
saying  over  and  over  to  myself.  We  were 
lost  in  the  swamps,  certainly;  and  yet  I  was 
not  frightened.  The  damp  atmosphere 
penetrated  to  my  very  bones,  and  I  buried 
my  face  far  down  in  the  collar  of  my  im 
promptu  wrap.  I  think  I  must  have  fallen 
asleep,  for  a  movement  of  my  companion 
suddenly  aroused  me.  I  opened  my  eyes, 
and  looked  up  into  my  tutor's  face.  His 
whole  attention  was  fixed  upon  some  object 
or  objects  not  far  distant.  He  motioned  me 
to  be  silent,  and  my  eyes  followed  his  look. 
Upon  a  miniature  island  that  rose  up  from 
the  murky  waters  of  the  pond  a  few  yards 
from  our  perch  a  fire  was  burning.  The 
ruddy  glare  of  firelight  revealed  to  our  vi 
sion  a  group  of  moving  figures.  In  the 
centre  stood  the  man  whose  strange  person 
ality  had  twice  before  so  curiously  affected 


104      Their  Shadows  Before 

me.  His  misshapen  and  distorted  body 
seemed  inspired  by  some  supernatural  force, 
as  he  addressed  himself  to  the  half-dozen 
negroes  who  were  ranged  around  him.  We 
were  near  enough  to  hear  distinctly  the  words 
he  uttered. 

''Hear  the  word  of  Nathaniel,  the  Prophet 
of  the  Lord  God,"  he  said  solemnly,  in  a 
loud,  clear  voice. 

"That's  the  man  I  saw  with  Mammy," 
I  whispered.  "See!  He  has  white  spots 
on  his  hands!  " 

As  he  spoke,  the  man  raised  his  left  arm, 
and  held  before  the  awed  eyes  of  his  listen 
ers  the  same  scroll  I  had  seen  before. 

"I  have  come  to  accomplish,  my  brothers, 
as  well  as  to  foretell, "  he  continued.  "The 
end  is  at  hand.  The  Sign  has  been  given, 
—  even  the  Sign  of  Blood!  —  red  drops 
on  the  grains  of  corn,  red  drops  on  the 
oakleaves,  red  drops  on  the  blades  of 
grass!  Blood, —  blood, —  blood!  Every 
where  blood!" 


Their  Shadows  Before      105 

The  hands  of  the  speaker  moved  in  long, 
rhythmic  strokes  as  he  spoke;  and  the  deep, 
compelling  eyes  turned  from  one  to  another 
of  the  coarse,  irresponsible  faces  before  him. 
As  he  repeated  the  last  words,  his  auditors' 
hands  and  arms  began  to  wave  slowly  in  uni 
son  with  his  own;  and,  in  thick,  imperfect 
utterance,  they  repeated  the  words  after  him. 
Gradually  the  motions  of  the  prophet's  hands 
grew  more  and  more  rapid,  until  they  lashed 
the  air. 

''The  white  lamb  for  the  black  sheep! 
Will  you  swear  by  the  Sign?" 

"We  sw'ar  by  de  Sign !  " 

The  answer  came  as  from  one  man,  in 
strained,  mechanical  voices. 

"To  follow  Nathaniel,  and  to  do  the  will 
of  the  Lord?" 

"Ter  foller  Nathaniel,  an'  ter  do  de  will 
uvde  Lord!" 

"We  will  swear  by  blood!  We  will  con 
quer  by  blood  !  Swear ! ' ' 

As  each  one  of  the  group  stepped  forward 


io6      Their  Shadows  Before 

and  repeated  the  words,  their  leader  drew 
from  his  pocket  a  penknife,  and,  tearing 
open  the  coarse  garment  that  covered  his 
breast,  passed  its  open  blade  across  his  left 
side.  Dipping  his  index  finger  in  the  crim 
son  fluid  that  welled  up,  staining  his  black 
breast  and  white  shirt,  he  leaned  forward, 
and  made  a  small  red  circle  on  the  forehead 
of  each  of  his  followers. 

"Mat,—  Jake,—  Ned,—  Pete,—  Ike,— 
and  Bill,  —  you  are  marked  by  the  Sign:  go 
in  peace !  Amen  ! ' ' 

For  a  moment  there  was  silence.  Then 
he  waved  a  dismissal ;  and  each  man  made 
his  way  to  the  island's  edge,  and  waded 
across  to  the  opposite  shore.  When  they 
had  disappeared  in  the  shadows  of  the  forest, 
their  leader  knelt  down,  and  folded  his  hands 
in  the  attitude  of  prayer. 

"O  Lord  God,"  we  heard  him  say,  "show 
Nathaniel  the  way  to  the  end.  It  does  not 
matter,  Lord,  how  hard  it  is  or  how  long  it 
is ;  and,  if  the  work  prepared  before  all  time 


Their  Shadows  Before      107 

for  his  hand  to  perform  be  hard  to  do, 
strengthen  his  arm!  O  Lord  God,  give  a 
sign  in  the  heavens  when  the  Day  of  Re 
demption  is  set,  so  that  Nathaniel  may  know 
when  the  Lord  is  ready.  Amen. ' ' 

Then  he  went  to  the  water's  edge,  and, 
filling  a  tin  cup  which  hung  at  his  side  with 
the  brackish  fluid,  slowly  poured  it  upon  the 
fire.  This  operation  was  repeated  until 
every  spark  was  extinguished.  Then  he 
threw  the  charred  remnants  of  fagots,  the 
dead  coals  and  the  heap  of  ashes  into  the 
water.  When  all  traces  of  the  fire  had  been 
destroyed,  we  watched  him  step  into  the 
water,  as  his  companions  had  done.  When 
the  shore  was  reached,  he  plunged  into  the 
woods,  also ;  but  we  noticed  that  he  took  an 
opposite  direction  to  that  taken  by  the  other 
negroes. 

" What  were  they  doing?"  I  asked  in  a 
half-whisper. 

"I  cannot  say.  I  suppose  it  was  some 
superstition  they  were  secretly  celebrating. 


io8      Their  Shadows  Before 

The  leader  is  evidently  a  religious  fanatic. 
I  think  it  was  very  well  that  we  were  not 
seen." 

"That  must  have  been  Mr.  Travis'  free 
negro,  Nat.  He  talks  almost  like  white 
people,  but  he's  a  Voodoo.  Did  you  see 
him  making  spells  with  his  hands?" 

"Nonsense!"  said  Mr.  Mortimer.  "It's 
possibly  a  case  of  unconscious  mesmeric  in 
fluence.  " 

"What  is  'mesmeric  influence'?"  I  in 
quired. 

"Something  very  little  known  about  as 
yet." 

After  a  short  pause  he  continued:  "You 
know  these  people,  child.  Shall  we  tell 
what  we  have  seen  ? ' ' 

"No,"  I  answered  promptly.  "They 
don't  know  any  better.  Nat  Turner  would 
be  put  in  jail  and  the  slaves  would  be 
whipped,  if  we  did.  They  are  always  talk 
ing  about  signs  and  spells  and  judgment 
day:  it  doesn't  hurt  anybody." 


Their  Shadows  Before      109 

"Very  well,  then:  we  will  keep  our  own 
counsel. ' ' 

Just  then  we  heard  the  bark  of  a  dog  in 
the  distance,  and  in  a  few  moments  the 
sound  of  voices. 

"It's  Gladys's  bark!"  I  cried  joyfully. 
"They're  coming  for  us!  Make  a  noise  to 
show  where  we  are. ' ' 

Mr.  Mortimer  made  a  sounding-board  of 
his  hands,  and  gave  a  long  "Hallo!  "  which 
was  immediately  answered ;  and  in  a  little 
while  a  small  procession,  headed  by  my 
grandfather  and  my  boy  Jim,  appeared  in 
sight.  Gladys  almost  knocked  me  from  my 
perch  in  her  joy;  while  Jim  exclaimed  ex 
citedly,  "I  done  tole  you,  Massa,  dat  me  an' 
Gladys  could  fin'  my  liT  Mistis !  " 

"Thank  God!"  exclaimed  my  grand 
father,  fervently,  as  he  wiped  away  the  per 
spiration  from  his  forehead.  "This  night's 
tramp  and  doings  will  end  in  a  fever  for  you 
two,  I  dare  say,  and  in  no  end  of  rheuma 
tism  for  me.  A  second  edition  of  the 


1 10      Their  Shadows  Before 

'Babes  in  the  Wood/  lacking  the  robins. 
Put  on  your  coat,  Mortimer.  Here  are  some 
shawls  for  you,  Pen. ' ' 

Now  that  we  were  discovered,  his  irrita 
tion  found  vent.  After  reiterated  questions 
as  to  how  we  had  lost  the  path,  to  which 
we  could  give  no  satisfactory  answer,  he  re 
marked,  — 

"Damme !  but  what  fools  you  were !  " 
Neither  Mr.  Mortimer  nor  I  could  gain 
say  this.      So  we  set  out  for  Winston  Manor 
in  silence,  too  tired  to  care  what  anybody 
said. 


Chapter  VII. 

MY  grandfather's  prophecy  in  regard 
to  a  case  of  fever  was  verified.  The 
exposure  of  the  night  spent  in  the  swamps 
told  upon  a  constitution  unaccustomed  to  the 
miasmatic  lowlands  of  Virginia,  and  an 
acute  attack  of  ague  fever  kept  Mr.  Morti 
mer  with  us  many  weeks  after  my  school 
term  expired. 

As  far  as  possible,  I  tried  to  beguile  the 
tedium  of  his  long  convalescence;  and  my 
childish  prattle  did  not  seem  to  be  disagree 
able  to  him. 

I  had  just  set  a  plate  of  delicately  browned 
batter-cakes  by  his  lounge  in  the  library, 
when  my  grandmother  came  into  the  room. 

"How  very  close  the  air  is!"  she  re 
marked.  "I  think  we  shall  have  a  storm 
here  before  long. ' ' 

I  went  to  the  window,  and  looked  out  at 
the  sky. 

"Even  the  sunshine  looks  dark,"  I  said. 


ii2      Their  Shadows  Before 

"Look!"  And  I  pointed  to  the  floor, 
where  a  bar  of  bluish  light  lay.*  Our  faces 
in  the  mirror  over  the  mantel  were  of  a 
ghastly  pallor.  Mr.  Mortimer  got  up,  and 
followed  me  to  the  window.  The  same 
singular  effect  was  visible  everywhere  out 
side. 

"It  must  be  an  eclipse  of  the  sun,"  he 
said.  "But  it  is  certainly  unlike  any  I 
have  ever  seen. ' ' 

My  grandfather  now  appeared  in  the  door 
way,  wearing  a  vexed  expression  upon  his  face. 

' '  Confound  this  business  !  "  he  exclaimed. 
"I  have  had  to  stop  all  the  work  on  the 
place.  Those  foolish  negroes  down  in  the 
quarters  are  howling  and  praying  like  Bed 
lamites.  They  all  declare  it  is  Judgment 
Day,  and  will  not  listen  to  reason." 

"What  do  you  suppose  is  the  cause  of 
this  darkness?"  asked  my  grandmother, 
anxiously. 

*From  the  i8th  to  the  list  of  August,  1831,  an  unaccountable 
atmospheric  phenomenon  was  observed  throughout  the  State,  and  was 
known  as  the  "  Three  Blue  Days." 


Their  Shadows  Before      113 

"I  don't  know.  Of  course,  it  is  some 
natural  cause." 

"I  am  afraid  we  shall  have  to  postpone 
our  trip  to  the  White  Sulphur,"  she  sighed. 

"We  had  planned  to  go  on  the  2ist,  and 
I  had  engaged  Miss  Semiramis  Dove  to  keep 
house  for  you  and  Penelope, ' '  she  continued, 
turning  to  Mr.  Mortimer.  "I  should  not 
dream  of  leaving  a  guest,  except  that  my 
widowed  sister-in-law  is  at  the  Springs  just 
now,  and  must  return  to  her  plantation  in 
Middle  Georgia  in  a  very  few  days.  I  am 
sure  Miss  Semiramis  will  attend  to  every 
thing  concerning  your  comfort,  else  I  should 
not  leave  you. ' ' 

"Pray  do  not  give  me  a  thought  in  the 
matter,  dear  madam,"  replied  my  tutor. 
"I  would  not  have  you  change  your  plans  on 
my  account  for  a  very  great  deal.  I  am 
sure,"  he  added  with  a  laugh,  "that  I  shall 
derive  much  profit  from  coming  into  closer 
domestic  relations  with  a  lady  whose  name 
is  so  curiously  suggestive  of  heroic  valour 
and  gentle  tenderness." 


ii4      Their  Shadows  Before 

"A  fool  woman  and  a  fool  name!  "  ejacu 
lated  my  grandfather.  "But  let's  see  :  this 
is  the  1 8th,  isn't  it?  "  And  he  consulted  a 
pocket  almanac.  "Perhaps  the  trip  may  be 
arranged,  after  all." 

"Surely,  they  will  get  over  this  excite 
ment  in  three  days!"  remarked  Mr.  Mor 
timer.  But  in  this  conjecture  he  was 
wrong.  The  sinister  effect  of  the  "Three 
Blue  Days  "  was  destined  to  have  a  precipi 
tating  influence  upon  the  strange  and  tragic 
events  that  immediately  followed  them. 

"I  think,  Judith,"  suggested  my  grand 
father,  "it  would  be  well  for  you  to  go  down 
to  the  quarters  and  speak  to  the  negroes. 
They  have  an  abiding  faith  in  your  de 
crees.  ' ' 

My  grandmother  looked  doubtful,  but 
acquiesced,  and  to  my  surprise  bade  me 
come  with  her,  and  fetch  some  jellies  and 
cordials  which  she  wished  to  distribute 
among  the  old  and  decrepit  slaves,  who  ex 
pected  such  attentions  from  her,  and  who 


Their  Shadows  Before      n5 

were  wont  to  make  dismal  complaint  at  the 
slightest  neglect  on  her  part. 

As  we  entered  the  quarters,  we  at  once  be 
came  aware  that  some  unusual  demonstration 
was  in  progress.  There  was  an  air  of  gloom 
and  dread  over  the  little  settlement  that  was 
quite  distinct  and  apart  from  the  depressing 
influences  of  the  close,  heavy  air  and  the 
sombre  blue  light  that  encompassed  earth 
and  sky.  A  profound  silence  reigned  in  the 
cabins.  The  chickens  had  gone  to  roost  in 
the  trees;  and  from  the  very  topmost 
branches  of  the  oaks  and  firs  there  came 
every  now  and  then  the  shrill,  discordant 
cry  of  some  peacock,  as  if  in  protest  against 
the  long-drawn  twilight.  As  we  walked 
along,  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  animals 
looked  curious  and  abnormal,  like  the  fig 
ures  in  a  Chinese  perspective. 

"How  queer  everything  is  to-day!"  I 
ventured  with  a  nervous  little  laugh  that 
jarred  sharply  on  the  dim  stillness. 

"Don't    be    silly,    Penelope,"    said    my 


n6      Their  Shadows  Before 

grandmother.  But  just  then  Gladys  gave  a 
long,  whining  howl,  and  I  certainly  saw  her 
start  violently.  A  moment  later  a  solitary 
voice  broke  the  silence, —  a  voice  that  rose 
high  and  clear,  with  piercing  sweetness,  and 
then  suddenly  dropped  to  a  low,  wailing, 
minor  note  of  infinite  sadness.  We  stopped 
at  the  window  of  the  nearest  cabin. 

" That's  Lame  Jim  singing  to  old  Betsy," 
I  remarked. 

"Hush!"  said  my  grandmother;  and  in 
voluntarily  we  waited  to  listen  :  — 

"  De  Mighty  One's  a-comin'  ter  break  de  chains  uv 

sin: 
We  mus'  be  ready,  ready,  sho',  ter  let  Lord  Jesus  in, 

Ter  let  Lord  Jesus  in, 

We    mus'   be    ready,    ready,   sho',   ter    let    Lord 
Jesus  in. 

"  De  stars  dey  'pears  ashamed  ter  shine,  de  sun  done 

hide  his  face. 

In  dis  gre't  Judgment   Day  uv  wrath  what   soul 
shall  fin'  Cord's  grace? 

What  soul  shall  fin'  Cord's  grace  ? 
In  dis  gre't  Judgment  Day  uv  wrath  what  soul  — 
shall  —  fin'—  Cord's  —  grace  ? " 


Their  Shadows  Before       117 

The  refrain  rang  out  like  a  half -pleading 
half -accusing   cry.       Old    Betsy's   sightless 
eyes  were  turned  upward,  as  if  striving  to 
pierce   through  the    blackness    to    catch    a 
glimpse  of  the  coming  glory. 

"Ready?  Ready,  did  you  say?  Who's 
ready?"  she  muttered.  "Why,  dem  what 
has  waited  in  pra'r  an'  patience,  dem  what 
has  wearied  in  toil  an'  sweat.  Get  de  Good 
Book  an'  put  it  in  granny's  han's,  chile." 

The  crippled  boy  did  as  he  was  bid. 

"Now  fin'  de  verse  dat  was  wrote  fer  all 
de  po'  ole  niggers  an'  de  blin'  an'  de  lame 
like  you  an'  me, —  de  verse  dat  say,  'Come 
unter  me. '  You  kin  tell  it  by  de  red  yarn 
string  at  de  place. ' ' 

"Here  it  is,  granny,"  said  the  boy. 

"You  done  foun'  it?  Now,  chile,  put 
granny's  finger  on  dem  words,  'All  you  who 
am  weary  an'  heavy-loaden,  come  unter  me; 
an'  I  will  give  you  res'.'  Now,  when  de 
Lord  step  in  at  de  do',  I'll  tell  him  how 
it's  ole  Betsy  dat's  weary  and  heavy-loaden, 


n8      Their  Shadows  Before 

an'  wan*  ter  come  unter  Him.     Now  sing  de 
las'  verse  'bout  de  comin'  uv  de  Lord." 

Once  more  the  boy  lifted  his  voice  and 
sang :  — 

"  De   Mighty    One's    a-comin'    wid   buckler   an'  wid 

sword, 

De  angel  trumpets  soundin'  fer  de  comin'  uv  de 
Lord, 

Fer  de  comin'  uv  de  Lord, — 

De  angel  trumpets  soundin'  fer  de  comin'  uv  de 
Lord ! " 

There  was  a  note  of  expectancy  in  the 
boy's  voice  that  thrilled  us  as  we  listened. 

"Come  on,"  whispered  my  grandmother. 
"We  won't  disturb  them."  And  we 
passed  on  toward  another  cabin.  Here  there 
were  sounds  of  weeping  and  moaning.  My 
grandmother  spoke  to  the  inmates,  kindly 
but  firmly  assuring  them  that  there  was  no 
occasion  for  any  alarm.  Indeed,  she  tried  to 
explain  the  phenomenon  in  simple  words 
suited  to  their  understanding;  but  it  was 
useless.  They  listened  respectfully,  but  her 


Their  Shadows  Before      119 

words  carried  no  weight.  It  was  in  vain, 
too,  that  I  endeavoured  to  entice  my  friends 
Daphne,  Celeste,  and  Cynthy  from  their 
hiding-places  under  the  bed;  though  now 
and  then  a  woolly  head  emerged  far  enough 
to  see  what  was  going  on  in  the  room.  At 
an  auspicious  moment,  just  as  Daphne's 
frightened  face  appeared  from  under  the 
bed-spread,  I  pointed  to  some  cookies  I  had 
brought.  She  shook  her  head  violently,  and 
whispered :  — 

"I  cyan't,  Mis'  Pen.  It  ar'  Jedgment 
Day !  ' '  and  then  drew  in  her  head  after 
the  fashion  of  a  terrified  mud-turtle.  A 
moment  after  another  ball  of  wool  darted 
forth,  and  a  seductive  voice  murmured :  — 

"Give  it  ter  me,  Mith  Pen.  Eat'n'  er 
cooky  won't  mek  Jedgment  Day  come  no 
thooner. ' ' 

During  this  colloquy  Celeste  kept  one  eye 
on  her  mammy,  while  she  adroitly  stretched 
forth  her  hand  for  the  proffered  dainty.  She 
was  carrying  out  a  system  of  Epicurean  phi- 


120      Their  Shadows  Before 

losophy  she  had  tested  before,  and  found  sat 
isfactory. 

In  every  cabin  we  visited  there  was  the 
same  fixed  and  absolute  conviction  that  the 
end  of  all  things  was  near.  We  found  Aunt 
Kizzie  unearthing  her  ' 'bury in' -close  "  from 
a  mysterious  box;  while  black  Chloe 
wailed :  — 

"Law!  'Tain't  no  use,  kase,  ef  it's 
Jedgment  Day,  won't  nobody  be  lef  ter 
bury  nobody!  "  But  this  argument  had  no 
effect  upon  Aunt  Kizzie,  who  continued  her 
preparations  for  death  in  rigid  solemnity. 

When  the  last  jars  of  jelly  and  cordials 
were  disposed  of,  we  turned  our  steps 
toward  the  manor  house. 

All  night  and  during  the  two  days  that 
followed,  the  negroes  were  to  be  seen  col 
lected  together  in  little  groups,  to  pray  and 
exhort  and  sing.  Work  was  not  to  be 
thought  of,  and  my  grandfather  went  about 
the  house  grumbling  about  the  neglect  of 
crops  and  the  general  demoralisation.  It 


Their  Shadows  Before       121 

was  the  same  way  on  every  plantation  in  the 
section.  When  the  morning  of  the  2ist 
dawned  clear  and  bright,  we  all  breathed 
more  freely.  But,  in  spite  of  the  blue  sky 
and  the  sunshine,  the  shadow  of  their  recent 
terror  still  seemed  to  hang  over  the  negroes. 
Mammy  and  Uncle  Isham  seemed  particu 
larly  low  in  spirits,  and  I  could  not  inveigle 
either  of  them  into  conversation.  It  was 
toward  afternoon  that  I  noticed  these  two 
talking  together  very  earnestly.  I  was  sit 
ting  under  the  lattice-work  of  a  little,  dis 
used  summer  kitchen  at  the  end  of  the  left 
wing  of  the  house.  It  was  a  quiet  nook 
where  I  was  entirely  free  from  interruption 
when  I  wished  to  absorb  myself  in  a  fairy 
tale;  for  the  left  wing  of  Winston  Manor 
had  not  been  occupied  for  nearly  half  a  cen 
tury.  There  were  rumours  of  ghosts  holding 
high  carnivals  here  on  moonlight  nights, 
which  were  currently  reported  and  believed 
by  the  slaves.  So  I  was  somewhat  surprised 
to  see  Mammy  and  Uncle  Isham  in  this  par- 


122      Their  Shadows  Before 

ticular  spot.  They  did  not  see  me ;  and  I 
was  wondering  in  an  idle  sort  of  way  what 
would  happen  if  I  should  give  a  faint 
ghostly  groan  or  two,  when  a  few  disjointed 
words  arrested  my  attention. 

"It  got  ter  be  done;  but  who  gwine  ter 
do  it?  "  I  heard  Mammy  say  in  a  strangely 
troubled  voice. 

"I  is!"  answered  Uncle  Isham,  firmly. 

"Ef  Nat  knowed"  — 

I  pricked  up  my  ears;  but  Mammy's 
anxious  voice  sank  so  low  I  could  not  dis 
tinguish  what  would  happen  "if  Nat 
knew. ' ' 

"We  got  ter  be  wise  as  de  sarpint, " 
warned  Uncle  Isham.  "An'  we  ain't  got 
no  time  ter  lose." 

"I  kin  do  my  part  ef  you  kin  do  yourn, " 
said  Mammy. 

"I'll  " —  And  again  I  lost  the  last  part 
of  the  sentence. 

"I  wonder  what  they're  talking  about,"  I 
said  to  myself;  but,  with  the  inconsequence 


Their  Shadows  Before      123 

of  childhood,  the  matter  passed  from  my 
mind,  as  they  disappeared  around  the  angle 
of  the  house.  In  after  years  the  meaning 
of  this  half-caught  conversation  was  clear 
and  plain  to  me. 

Shortly  before  tea-time,  as  we  were  sit 
ting  in  the  long  hall,  Uncle  Isham's  grey 
head  appeared  at  the  door. 

"  'Scuse  me,  Marster  an'  Mistis,  but  er 
boy  hev  just  come  down  f'om  Mars  Page 
Braxton's  wid  er  message  fer  we-all  f'om 
Mis'  Kitty;  an'  she  say  how  fer  you-all  ter 
come  right  up,  kase  Mars  Page  hev  been 
took  sudden  wid  his  hade,  an'  'pears  like  he 
won't  hardly  live  till  mornin'."  Uncle 
Isham's  voice  trembled  as  he  delivered  the 
message.  "An'  I  done  tole  de  boy  he 
better  go  'long,  fer  I'd  bring  you  de  word," 
he  explained. 

"Poor  Kitty!  Of  course,  Christopher, 
we  will  go!  Poor  Kitty!  Poor,  dear 
child!"  exclaimed  my  grandmother;  while 
my  grandfather  ordered  the  carriage  to  be 
fetched  at  once. 


124      Their  Shadows  Before 

"This  is  dreadful!"  he  said.  "And 
Page  such  a  specimen  of  manly  strength ! 
It's  incredible!" 

Mr.  Mortimer  offered  to  ride  up,  also,  in 
case  he  could  be  of  service.  But  my  grand 
mother  said,  "No,"  emphatically.  "Why, 
you're  not  fit  to  think  of  riding!  "  she  de 
clared.  "You  must  obey  your  nurse." 
And  so  the  matter  was  dropped. 

"Come,  Pen,  you  may  go,  if  you  like. 
Perhaps  you  can  amuse  the  children,  and 
keep  them  out  of  the  way, ' '  said  my  grand 
father.  But  I  hung  back. 

"I  think  I  ought  to  stay  and  look  after 
Mr.  Mortimer,"  I  said. 

"That  is  better,"  said  my  grandmother. 
"There's  the  carriage.  Be  a  good  girl. 
Your  grandfather  will  ride  over  to-morrow, 
and  let  you  hear  about  your  cousin  Braxton. 
Good-by !  "  And  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye,  it  seemed  to  me,  the  carriage  was  roll 
ing  down  the  dusty  highway  on  its  twenty- 
five-mile  drive  to  Jerusalem. 


Their  Shadows  Before       125 

When  Mammy  came  in  later  on,  she  gave 
a  little  scream  as  she  saw  me, — 

"Fer  Gord's  sake,  Penelope,  what  you 
doin'  here?  " 

"Gracious,  Mammy!  You  needn't  look 
as  if  you  had  seen  a  ghost !  I  stayed  at 
home  to  look  after  things,"  I  added  with 
some  ostentation. 

"You  ain'  goin'  ter  Mis'  Kitty's?"  she 
asked  stupidly. 

"Why,  of  course  not,"  I  answered. 
"They've  gone." 

"Fer  Gord's  sake!  "  she  repeated  again. 
And  then,  seeing  my  look  of  surprise,  she 
added:  "Co'se,  honey,  I  thought  you'd  go 
'long  wid  yo'  grandma.  Dat's  all." 

"Close  the  blinds,  Pen,  will  you?" 
called  Mr.  Mortimer.  "I  think  one  of  your 
slap-my-face  storms  is  around  the  corner." 
As  he  spoke,  a  gust  of  wind  came  puffing 
down  the  chimney  with  such  force  that  the 
screen  fell  with  a  great  clatter. 

"Lord  help  us!  "  ejaculated  Mammy. 


i26      Their  Shadows  Before 

' 'I  love  storms!  "  I  cried,  running  to  the 
open  window  and  leaning  out.  "There  is 
just  one  big  black  cloud  in  the  sky.  And 
look !  How  strange !  It  is  the  figure  of  a 
man  !  See  the  old  shoes  on  his  feet  and  the 
handkerchief  tied  around  his  neck !  Come 
quick,  Mammy  and  Mr.  Mortimer!  Look, 
look!  He's  a  black  man!  Can't  you  see 
his  teeth?"  I  exclaimed,  as  a  rift  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  cloud  made  the  semblance 
of  a  row  of  white  teeth  in  a  black  face  per 
fectly  distinct. 

"It  is  the  most  definite  cloud-shape  I 
ever  saw  in  my  life,"  remarked  Mr.  Morti 
mer.  "See  how  the  wind  drives  him  for 
ward!  He  is  marching  toward  Rich 
mond!" 

"Don'  look  no  mo'  !  For  Cord's  sake, 
don'  look  no  mo' !  "  exclaimed  Mammy,  her 
face  ashy  with  superstitious  terror.  "It's 
de  Debil's  own  wu'k!  "  And  she  shut  the 
blinds  with  a  resolute  hand. 

"Well,"  said  Mr.    Mortimer,   "he  seems 


Their  Shadows  Before      127 

to  have  taken  the  storm  along  with  him,  you 
see.  The  wind  has  changed,  and  we  won't 
catch  the  rain  here;  but  the  up-county 
streams  will  be  past  fording  in  a  few 
hours. ' ' 

Mammy  set  about  to  light  the  candles, 
but  she  was  fidgety  and  nervous.  After 
tea  Mr.  Mortimer  read  one  of  my  favourite 
fairy-tales  to  me;  and  then  we  played  crib- 
bage  until  bedtime. 

When  I  kneeled  down  at  Mammy's  knee 
to  say  my  prayers  that  night,  I  made  this 
addendum  to  my  usual  petition  :  — 

"Lord,  keep  us  all  safe  to-night,  and 
please  don't  let  the  world  come  to  an  end 
until  everybody  gets  good.  Amen." 

Then  I  got  into  bed  and  went  to  sleep, 
with  no  presage  of  danger  to  disturb  my 
slumbers. 


Chapter  VIII. 

IT  must  have  been  close  upon  midnight 
when  I  suddenly  awakened  with  a  sense 
of  an  unknown  peril  upon  me.  I  listened. 
Yes,  there  was  certainly  a  noise  downstairs. 
I  could  hear  voices  in  the  hall.  What  had 
happened?  What  was  the  matter?  Too 
much  frightened  to  call  out,  I  lay  in  an 
agony  of  fear.  Suddenly,  in  the  darkness, 
I  felt  Mammy's  hand  on  my  arm. 

"Don'  speak  fer  yo'  life,  chile!"  she 
whispered  rapidly.  "Mammy' 11  save  her 
baby,  ef  she  dies  fer  it !  " 

I  clasped  her  hand  in  terror.  She  was 
shaking  like  a  leaf.  "O  my  Gord !  De 
niggers  is  riz !  De  niggers  is  riz ! "  she 
moaned. 

"Strike  and  kill!  In  the  name  of  the 
Lord  and  Nathaniel,  we  shall  be  free!" 
cried  a  loud  voice,  whose  tones  I  recog 
nised;  then  the  crashing  of  the  timbers,  as 
the  bedroom  door  below  gave  way  beneath 


Their  Shadows  Before      129 

the  fierce  blows  showered  upon  it.  A  yell 
of  rage  and  disappointment  burst  from  the 
negroes,  when  they  discovered  that  their  in 
tended  victims  had  escaped. 

" Quick,  chile  !  Fer  Gord's  sake,  quick  !  " 
cried  Mammy,  as  she  tore  down  the  screen 
from  before  the  wide  fireplace.  "Climb 
up !  Dey  done  drunk  wid  blood  now,  an' 
mebbe  de  mark  won't  save  you. " 

Partly  with  her  assistance  and  partly 
goaded  on  by  the  terror  induced  by  my 
desperate  situation,  I  managed  to  scramble 
up  the  sooty  chimney,  where  my  foothold 
among  the  projecting  bricks  was  maintained 
by  leaning  my  body  against  the  opposite 
wall.  The  clamour  grew  louder  every  mo 
ment,  as  the  negroes  approached  the  apart 
ment  wherein  I  was  concealed.  In  a  flash  I 
realised  somehow  that  Mammy  had  im 
perilled  her  life  by  saving  my  grandparents. 
With  a  cunning  born  of  desperation  and 
with  a  courage  that  was  the  instinct  of  love, 
she  went  to  the  door  and  opened  it. 


130      Their  Shadows  Before 

"Nat, "  she  called  in  a  low  voice,  "dey 
all  done  gone;  but  I  got  de  keys  fer  you, 
an'  dere  is  enough  silver  to  mek  you  rich 
feryo'  life." 

"Gone?  Gone?"  exclaimed  the  insur 
gent.  "And  you  tell  me  this,  woman? 
Where  have  they  gone?  Answer,  or  this 
axe  shall  open  your  skull !  " 

"Fer  Gord's  sake,  Nat,  I  couldn't  hender 
'em  fom  goin',  could  I?  You  kin  kill  me 
ef  you  chose;  but,  ef  you  does,  you'll  never 
fin'  de  buried  money,  kase  my  mother  was 
de  las'  Voodoo  dat  knowed  de  secret,  an' 
she  lef  it  ter  me." 

Her  words  had  an  effect,  for  there  was 
silence  for  a  moment. 

Then  Nat  Turner  raised  a  stern  voice  in 
protest,  but  his  words  were  at  once  drowned 
out  by  a  storm  and  clamour  of  lustful  cries. 
In  a  moment  or  two,  sternly  commanding 
silence,  he  regained  a  temporary  ascendency 
over  his  howling  mob  of  followers,  but  one 
which  even  I,  sick  with  fear  and  effort 


Their  Shadows  Before       131 

though  I  was,  judging  from  the  undertone  of 
murmurs  which  reached  me,  recognised  as 
hanging  in  an  imminent  balance  until  he 
spoke  again.  Then  he  said  quietly, 
* '  Woman,  lead  the  way  ! ' ' 

While  this  conversation  was  in  progress, 
I  scarcely  dared  to  breathe,  and  would  no 
doubt  have  escaped  detection,  had  not  an  un 
timely  thing  befallen.  Just  as  the  door  was 
opened  for  their  exit,  an  unfledged  swallow 
from  the  heights  above  tumbled  down  upon 
my  head.  Involuntarily,  I  started,  lost  my 
footing,  and  fell ! 

In  an  instant  Mammy's  protecting  arms 
were  around  me.  There  was  a  chorus  of 
exclamations,  as  one  black  follower  of  the 
prophet  rushed  toward  me,  calling  out  in 
guttural  tones, — 

" Voodoo  Maman,  gib  us  de  goat  widout 
horns!" 

' '  De  mark  !  De  mark !  Fer  Gord'  s  sake, 
remember  de  mark ! ' '  cried  Mammy,  as  the 
flash  of  an  axe-blade  gleamed  over  me  in  the 


i32      Their  Shadows  Before 

bright  moonlight.  At  the  same  moment  a 
pair  of  short,  muscular  arms  tore  me  from 
her  frantic  embrace.  A  heavy,  distorted 
hand  was  laid  upon  my  lips.  Then  there 
was  a  rush,  a  click,  a  flash,  and  I  knew  no 
more  of  what  followed. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  next 
day  when  I  was  aroused  from  what  seemed 
to  me  to  have  been  a  long  and  terrible 
dream.  A  pale  yellow  light  shone  across 
the  earthen  floor  of  a  sort  of  subterranean 
grotto  or  cavern. 

I  was  lying  upon  a  pallet  of  dried  leaves 
that  rustled  as  I  moved  my  arm  toward  the 
dark  stone  wall  near  which  I  lay.  I  drew 
back  my  hand  hastily.  Great  drops  of  icy 
ooze  stood  out  upon  its  surface,  damp  and 
chill  as  the  face  of  the  dead.  An  odour  of 
mould  filled  the  cavernous  vault  with  a 
subtle,  grave-like  aroma.  I  wondered  if  I 
were  dead,  if  I  had  been  killed  and  buried, 
coffinless,  in  this  horrible  place. 


Their  Shadows  Before      133 

Toward  the  further  end  of  the  cave  I 
could  see  something  white  outlined  against 
the  black  background  of  shadow.  As  my 
eyes  grew  accustomed  to  the  gloom,  this 
white  object  gradually  assumed  the  sem 
blance  of  a  human  figure,  with  wide,  out 
stretched  arms. 

The  bar  of  light  shifted  and  appeared  to 
move ;  and  the  figure  of  a  man  emerged  from 
some  obscure  angle,  and  went  toward  the 
white  figure  against  the  wall.  He  paused  a 
moment,  and  then  a  voice  spoke.  This  is 
what  I  heard:  — 

"O  Son  of  God!  say  to  the  Father  that  I 
have  done  the  work  foreordained  for  me  to 
do.  Thou  knowest,  O  Son  of  Man,  that, 
when  the  Sign  was  given,  I  obeyed.  See 
these  red  stains,  O  Holy  One,  and  by  them 
know  that  the  innocent  blood  of  the  babe 
has  been  spilled  for  the  cleansing  of  the 
great  sin,  even  as  thine  own  innocent  blood 
was  shed  to  wash  men's  souls !  Thou  know 
est  that  hate  did  not  harden  the  heart  of 


134      Their  Shadows  Before 

Nathaniel,  thy  prophet,  nor  did  anger 
strengthen  his  arm  to  smite  the  rulers;  but 
that  he  did  perform  that  only  which  he  was 
sent  to  do ! 

"The  life  of  thy  prophet  is  but  a  straw  in 
the  wind,  but  it  shall  show  where  the  tem 
pest  shall  break.  It  is  a  ransom  for  the  fifty- 
and-five  whose  fates  were  sealed  in  the 
Great  Book  before  all  world,  —  a  ransom  for 
the  shackles  of  the  slave!  " 

The  words  were  spoken  in  a  perfectly 
natural  voice,  as  though  the  speaker  were 
face  to  face  with  some  familiar  companion. 
There  was  a  slight  pause  after  the  last 
words.  Then  he  spoke  again. 

''When  the  last  day  comes,  ask  the  Good 
Father  to  put  the  words  into  my  mouth  as  a 
testimony  and  a  witness  of  the  future.  The 
blood  of  the  white  child  cries  aloud  for  my 
blood,  and  I  give  it  freely.  And  I  pray 
that,  when  the  great  battle  comes,  my  peo 
ple  shall  be  patient  and  wait  meekly  for  the 
gift  that  shall  be  theirs.  For  the  great  end 


Their  Shadows  Before      135 

for  which  I  was  sent  I  have  lived,  —  and  I 
shall  die!" 

The  great  fear  that  had  been  upon  me  fell 
away  from  me  as  I  listened.  I  'sat  upright 
and  gazed  with  all  my  eyes  at  the  kneeling 
figure,  whose  lips  continued  to  move  si 
lently.  Presently  he  rose  up,  and,  taking 
a  bit  of  bread  from  a  stone  ledge  above  his 
head,  began  to  make  a  low,  peculiar  sort  of 
noise  with  his  lips.  There  was  a  scurry 
along  the  wall ;  and  a  great,  gaunt  rat  ran 
toward  him,  and  ate  the  bits  of  bread  from 
his  fingers.  The  negro  stooped  down  and 
stroked  the  creature  gently,  all  the  while 
making  that  same  singular  noise.  The  rat 
was  quite  tame  and  perfectly  fearless,  leap 
ing  to  the  shoulder  of  its  protector  and  nest 
ling  there  for  several  moments  in  evident 
contentment.  Presently  Nat  arose,  and  the 
rat  jumped  down  and  scampered  to  his  hole. 

A  strange  thought  took  hold  of  me. 

"Uncle  Nat,"  I  called  in  a  weak,  queer 
voice.  The  dwarfish  figure  shuffled  toward 
me,  and  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  pallet. 


i36      Their  Shadows  Before 

"Well?"  he  said. 

"Are  you  going  to  kill  me?  " 

He  shook  his  head. 

"Why  not?  "  I  pointed  to  the  stains  on 
his  shirt,  and  shuddered ;  though  I  was  con 
scious  that  it  was  not  from  personal  fear. 

"Because  you  are  marked  with  the 
Mark,"  he  answered. 

"Then  it  was  you  who  saved  me  from 
that  man's  axe.  Oh,  I  can  see  it  now!" 
And  I  put  my  hand  over  my  eyes.  "Did 
anything  happen  to  —  to  my  grandparents  ? ' ' 

"A  woman's  treachery  saved  them!"  he 
said  fiercely. 

"And  Mr.  Mortimer?" 

"He  was  not  of  the  Accursed !  " 

A  wild  hope  now  seized  me. 

"Let  me  go  home,  Uncle  Nat!  Take  me 
home!"  I  cried.  "I  swear  I  will  not  tell 
them  where  you  are ! ' ' 

He  gazed  at  me  with  a  curious  sort  of  in- 
tentness,  but  made  no  answer.  I  grew 
strangely  bold. 


Their  Shadows  Before      137 

"You  are  a  cruel,  wicked  man  to  kill 
innocent  people!"  I  cried.  "Don't  you 
know  God  says,  'Thou  shalt  not  kill'  ?  " 

"I  fulfilled  the  Law.  They  will  kill 
me,  and  it  will  be  man's  law." 

He  uttered  the  words  calmly  and  evenly, 
a  smile  playing  over  his  face  as  he  spoke. 
Nothing  seemed  to  matter  to  this  strange, 
terrible  man.  I  had  no  fear,  yet  a  mad  de 
sire  to  get  away  from  him  seemed  to  suffo 
cate  me.  I  raised  myself  up  with  a  wild 
idea  of  flight  in  my  mind,  but  fell  back 
again  upon  my  bed  of  leaves  from  sheer  ex 
haustion.  Nat  Turner  went  to  a  receptacle 
I  could  not  see,  and  brought  back  a  bottle 
of  some  black  mixture  and  a  small  wooden 
tray  laden  with  stale  biscuits,  cheese,  and 
smoked  beef.  He  was  evidently  prepared 
for  a  siege. 

"Eat,"  he  said.  And  I  took  the  food, 
and  ate  it  ravenously. 

"Now  drink  this."  And  he  handed  me  a 
battered  tin  cup,  into  which  he  had  poured 


Their  Shadows  Before 

a  draught  of  the  potion.  I  put  the  cup  to 
my  lips,  and  tasted  its  contents  dubiously. 
There  was  a  pleasant  flavour  to  the  beverage, 
and  I  swallowed  it  at  one  gulp.  It  must 
have  been  a  powerful  tonic,  for  almost  in 
stantly  I  felt  a  wave  of  renewed  vitality 
sweep  through  my  veins  and  strengthen  my 
pulses. 

"I  am  better  now.  I  am  ready  to  go 
home." 

Then  for  the  first  time,  as  I  looked  down, 
I  realised  that  I  was  in  my  night-gown. 

"Oh,  what  shall  I  do?  What  shall  I 
do?"  I  wailed,  as  I  dragged  the  rough 
blanket  from  my  improvised  bed,  and  drew 
it  close  about  me. 

"I  could  not  help  it,"  he  said  in  a 
quaintly  apologetic  tone.  "Your  life  was 
in  the  balance:  the  men  were  mad." 

"It  was  you  who  made  them  like  that!  " 
I  replied  angrily. 

"Yes,"  he  answered  slowly;  "but  the 
workman  must  have  his  tools. " 


Their  Shadows  Before      139 

I  looked  at  him  with  a  sort  of  fascinated 
horror.  "Oh,  it  was  horrible  to  raise  our 
slaves  against  us  !  " 

"Your  slaves?  They  were  my  slaves,  I 
say, —  body  and  blood  of  them, —  mine!  " 

"You  are  really  and  truly  a  Voodoo 
then?"  I  asked  in  an  awe-stricken  tone. 
He  shook  his  head  scornfully. 

"I  have  never  asked  for  the  goat  without 
horns." 

I  gave  a  shudder.  "That's  what  the  man 
said  when  he  was  going  to  kill  me.  What 
does  it  mean?  " 

But  Nathaniel  Turner  did  not  answer. 

"It  is  time  for  you  to  go  back  now,  be 
fore  the  cold  night  comes.  Fold  the  blanket 
tight  around  you. " 

I  looked  down  at  my  bare  feet ;  but  I  felt 
as  if  I  should  not  mind  walking  over  heated 
ploughshares,  if  only  I  might  find  home 
once  more. 

"I  don't  mind  anything,"  I  cried  joy 
fully.  "I  don't  think  you  mean  to  be  bad. 


i4°      Their  Shadows  Before 

And,  anyway,  you  have  saved  my  life;  and 
grandfather  will  do  something  for  you,  and 
I  will  never  tell  where  you  are!  " 

"No:  you  will  not  tell  —  yet,"  he  said 
slowly,  fixing  those  strange  eyes  full  upon 
my  face.  He  began  then  to  move  his 
spotted  hands  slowly  up  and  down  before  my 
face,  and  I  seemed  to  be  drifting  away  into 
limitless  space. 

"What  do  you  see,  white  child?"  he 
asked,  recalling  my  scattered  senses  sud 
denly. 

I  glanced  about  me.  The  low,  overhang 
ing  walls  of  stone  were  receding  into  the 
distance,  like  a  vanishing  dream.  Long 
stretches  of  field  lay  about  us.  In  the  dis 
tance  the  outlines  of  the  Great  Dismal 
showed  darkly  against  the  horizon.  There 
were  trees  of  a  different  growth  from  any  I 
had  ever  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  Winston 
Manor. 

I  rubbed  my  eyes. 

"You  will  follow  the  path,"  he  said, 
"until  you  come  to  the  juniper-tree." 


Their  Shadows  Before      141 

Then  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  went  onward, 
traversing  the  narrow  footpaths  through  the 
wide,  starlit  fields,  impelled  by  some  force 
quite  outside  of  my  mental  or  physical  voli 
tion.  I  came  to  the  juniper-tree  at  last, 
a  familiar  landmark  on  the  boundary  line  of 
our  plantation,  and  sat  down  mechanically, 
waiting  for  I  knew  not  what.  Again  and 
again  I  tried  to  recall  what  had  happened 
and  where  I  had  been,  but  the  effort  was 
futile.  From  the  moment  that  I  had  crept 
into  my  little  white  bed  on  that  eventful 
night,  my  mind  was  a  blank.  When  I  tried 
to  fix  my  thoughts  on  that  night,  they  grew 
dazed  and  hazy,  and  an  undefinable  fear 
seemed  to  possess  me.  Not  until  the  be 
ginning  of  the  last  act  of  the  Southampton 
tragedy  could  I  recall  the  strange  scenes 
which  I  had  witnessed.  The  singular 
psychical  force  that  had  held  my  memory 
absolutely  in  its  control  did  not  wholly 
relax  its  influence  until  it  passed  from  its 
earthly  tenement.  I  only  knew  that  I  was 


142      Their  Shadows  Before 

barefooted,  with  only  my  night-gown  and  a 
rough  blanket  about  me,  and  that  I  was  sit 
ting  under  the  old  juniper-tree  that  had  al 
ways  been  the  limit  of  my  wanderings  from 
the  manor. 

Suddenly  I  heard  the  clatter  of  horse- 
hoofs  down  the  plantation  road,  and  then,  as 
the  rider  drew  within  view,  an  exclamation 
that  was  a  cry  of  mingled  surprise  and  joy. 

"My  God,  Penelope!  Is  it  you?"  cried 
Mr.  Mortimer,  leaping  from  his  horse. 
"We  thought  you  dead!  The  country  is 
being  scoured  for  miles  for  you  or  your  — 
And  here  you  are  within  our  gates !  Thank 
God!  Thank  God!"  His  face  was  drawn 
and  haggard,  as  though  he  had  not  slept  for 
weeks.  "How  was  it?  How  did  you  come 
here?"  He  was  patting  me  and  stroking 
my  hair,  as  he  poured  out  this  somewhat 
incoherent  volley  of  words. 

I  smiled  back  into  his  face  somewhat 
vacantly.  How  heavenly  it  was  to  hear  his 
voice,  and  to  know  that  I  was  at  home!  I 


Their  Shadows  Before       143 

laid  my  head  back  on  his  shoulder,  but  did 
not  try  to  speak  lest  I  should  break  the 
spell  of  blissful  content. 

He  looked  down  at  me  anxiously,  a  sud 
den  fear  dawning  in  his  eyes.  "Can't  you 
speak?  Don't  you  know  me,  dear?  " 

"Oh,  yes,"  I  whispered,  with  a  little 
laugh.  "Of  course  I  know  you,  only  I  am 
too  tired  and  too  happy  to  talk." 

"But  where  have  you  been,  child?"  he 
questioned,  as  he  placed  me  in  the  saddle 
before  him. 

"I  don't  know,"  I  answered. 

"Don't  know?  "  he  repeated  in  a  troubled 
voice.  "Try  and  tell  me  all  about  it." 

I  put  my  hands  up  to  my  head.  "Oh, 
please,  Mr.  Mortimer,  I  can't  help  it.  I 
tried  to  remember,  but  I  couldn't." 

"Never  mind,  you  poor  little  girl,"  he 
said.  And  then  it  seemed  but  a  few  mo 
ments  until  I  was  tightly  clasped  in  my 
grandfather's  arms,  with  a  crowd  of  white 
drawn  faces  all  about  me.  I  could  feel  the 


144      Their  Shadows  Before 

hot  tears  on  my  face  like  rain,  while  broken 
ejaculations  of  joy  and  of  thankfulness 
broke  from  my  grandparents'  lips.  From 
the  rear  came  the  sound  of  Mammy's  voice, 
repeating  again  and  again  :  — 

"De  Lord  is  done  retu'n  his  los'  lamb! 
Bless  his  Holy  Name!" 


Chapter  IX. 

THE  news  of  the  negro  insurrection 
spread  widely  and  rapidly  throughout 
the  contiguous  counties,  and  the  excitement 
and  consternation  were  boundless.  By  noon 
of  the  day  following  my  return  to  Winston 
Manor  the  whole  section  was  in  an  uproar, 
and  the  barricades  which  had  been  hastily 
contrived  by  the  frightened  white  people 
were  no  longer  in  requisition. 

Armed  patrols  from  Richmond  were 
guarding  the  plantations,  and  the  abject 
terror  of  the  negroes  was  pitiful.  The 
slave-owners  in  Virginia  and  the  South  had 
been  aroused  to  a  sense  of  danger  threaten 
ing  them  in  their  own  households.  On 
every  plantation  the  hordes  of  blacks  who 
tilled  the  cotton,  corn,  and  tobacco  fields, 
and  who  called  the  landed  proprietor  ' 'mas 
ter,  "  outnumbered  the  whites  a  hundred 
fold.  The  Southampton  insurrection  had 
cast  a  shadow  of  dread  over  every  Southern 


Their  Shadows  Before 

home.  Mothers  and  wives  and  children 
went  to  bed  at  night  oppressed  by  the  hor 
rible  fear  that  even  their  most  trusted  ser 
vants  might,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye, 
become  their  assassins;  for  it  was  impos 
sible  to  conjecture  how  far  Nat  Turner's  in 
fluence  had  reached.  Although  the  white 
men  of  Southampton  had  promptly  put  down 
the  insurrection  and  the  insurgents  were  in 
hiding,  fifty-five  persons  had  been  massacred 
between  two  days.  Winston  Manor  had 
been  the  first  place  attacked,  on  the  fatal 
night  of  August  21.  A  pistol-shot  fired 
from  Mr.  Mortimer's  window  had  frightened 
the  insurgents  into  a  hurried  flight ;  for 
they  supposed  that  they  were  discovered, 
and  that  an  armed  force  was  at  the  door. 
Mr.  Mortimer,  who  had  been  aroused  by  the 
noise  from  the  dining-room,  where  the  silver 
was  being  ransacked,  had  fired  through  the 
window,  as  a  means  of  scaring  off  any  pos 
sible  thieves.  He  had  hastily  run  down 
stairs,  grandfather's  pistols  in  hand,  to  dis- 


Their  Shadows  Before       147 

cover  the  house  in  confusion  and  Mammy 
prostrate  over  my  abduction. 

Heedless  of  the  danger  of  the  enterprise, 
he  had  mounted  Cavalier,  and  gone  in 
search  of  my  grandparents,  judging  that  the 
negroes  would  not  attempt  to  attack  the  vil 
lage  until  they  had  taken  possession  of  their 
owners'  isolated  homes,  and  until  their 
forces  should  be  strong  enough  to  make  such 
a  course  practicable. 

From  Winston  Manor,  Turner  and  his  fol 
lowers  had  gone  to  the  Travis  mansion;  and 
there  the  leader  of  the  assassins  had  with 
his  own  hand  killed,  together  with  his  wife 
and  his  children,  the  man  who  had  given 
him  his  freedom. 

The  grey  face  of  the  day  looked  down 
upon  a  scene  of  butchery  more  ghastly  in 
its  horror  because  of  the  passionless,  immut 
able  purpose  of  the  man  who  led  the  fren 
zied  mob.  Old  ladies,  young  children  in 
the  county  school-house,  on  the  roadside, 
the  farmer  on  his  way  to  work, —  all  were 
victims,  without  distinction  of  age  or  sex. 


148      Their  Shadows  Before 

And  the  dwarfish  figure  of  Turner  was  al-  . 
ways  the  first  to  attack,  as  he  called  out  in 
loud  tones:  "The  axe  of  the  prophet  is  the 
sword  of  the  Lord!     Strike,  and  you  shall 
be  free !     Jehovah  hath  promised  !  " 

Carried  away  by  the  apparent  success  of 
their  revolt  and  dominated  by  the  will  of 
the  black  prophet,  the  insurgents  acted  as 
though  one  man. 

Turner,  who  had  formulated  a  plan  for  a 
new  government,  knew  that  money  would  be 
a  necessary  factor.  So  in  every  house  there 
was  a  search  made  for  the  jewels,  silver, 
and  whatever  money  could  be  found.  After 
the  murderers  had  been  put  to  rout,  they 
were  tracked  through  the  fields  by  the  brace 
lets,  rings,  watches,  and  vessels  of  silver 
which  they  had  thrown  away  in  their  flight 
toward  the  swamps. 

As  soon  as  the  news  of  the  atrocities  had 
reached  Jerusalem,  squads  of  men  were  in 
pursuit ;  and  the  ultimate  capture  of  the  in 
surgents  was  only  a  matter  of  time. 


Their  Shadows  Before       149 

All  of  the  slaves  were  more  or  less  under 
suspicion,  and  my  grandfather  showed  a  dis 
crimination  and  cool  judgment  at  this  junct 
ure  that  were  most  admirable.  Calling  all 
the  negroes  in  from  the  quarters,  he  talked 
to  them  calmly  and  wisely,  showing  a  tact 
that  no  previous  exigency  had  ever  brought 
to  light. 

He  bade  Mammy  and  Uncle  Isham  stand 
on  either  side  of  him  while  he  spoke. 

"I  have  called  you  here  to  say  to  you  that 
I  have  the  utmost  confidence  in  your  affec 
tion  for  me  and  mine,"  he  said.  "These 
two,"  pointing  to  Mammy  and  Uncle 
Isham,  "imperilled  their  lives  to  save  my 
family;  and  there  are  many  among  you  who 
are  equally  faithful  and  true.  It  is  in  order 
to  protect  you  that  the  place  must  be 
guarded.  All  of  you  who  have  fire-arms  or 
weapons  of  any  sort  bring  them  to  me. 
There  will  be  a  search  made  by  the  authori 
ties,  and  the  possession  of  them  will  be 
regarded  as  evidence  against  you.  The 


150      Their  Shadows  Before 

leaders  of  this  movement  will  pay  the  pen 
alty  of  their  folly,  but  I  shall  do  what  I  can 
to  protect  the  innocent." 

"Gord  knows,  Marster,  we  never  knowed 
what  Nat  was  a-goin'  ter  do!  "  came  from 
all  sides. 

This  was,  no  doubt,  true;  for  only  a  few 
negroes  on  each  plantation  had  shared  the 
terrible  secret.  Nat  Turner's  plan  had 
been  to  keep  his  force  of  real  accomplices 
few  in  number  and  under  his  personal  direc 
tion.  He  trusted  that  the  desire  for  free 
dom  would  be  a  sufficiently  strong  incentive 
to  bring  the  whole  of  the  slave  population 
into  concerted  action,  when  once  the  work  of 
revolt  was  begun. 

Although  every  effort  was  being  made  to 
discover  the  hiding-place  of  the  man  who 
conceived,  planned,  and  almost  accom 
plished  the  insurrection  of  the  Southern 
slaves,  as  yet  no  trace  of  him  had  been 
found.  To  all  questions  put  to  me  concern 
ing  my  disappearance  and  return,  I  could 


Their  Shadows  Before      15 l 

only  give  the  same  answer,  "I  don't  know." 
My  distress  was  so  evident  and  so  genuine 
at  this  that  my  grandparents  forebore  touch 
ing  on  the  subject.  I  suppose,  too,  that 
they  were  alarmed  at  my  somewhat  singular 
mental  condition.  The  shock  to  my  nerves 
had  been  so  great  that  my  memory  appeared 
to  be  paralyzed. 

The  days  dragged  by  and  grew  into  weeks ; 
but  the  search  for  the  leader  of  the  negro  in 
surgents  was  kept  up  with  unremitted  vigi 
lance,  though  with  no  result  save  failure. 

After  the  first  frenzy  of  excitement  was 
over,  the  lower  and  coarser  element  of  the 
population  was  seized  by  a  fever  of  suspi 
cion  that  was  fraught  with  danger  to  all 
those  disposed  to  be  reasonable  and  conserv 
ative.  This  element  was  made  up  for  the 
most  part  of  that  class  of  whites  who  did  not 
and  had  never  owned  slaves.  I  think  my 
grandfather  must  have  felt  that  Mr.  Morti 
mer's  position  among  us  was  not  safe,  for  he 
always  made  a  point  of  accompanying  him 
when  he  rode  or  drove  into  Jerusalem. 


i52      Their  Shadows  Before 

It  was  Uncle  Isham  who  came  in  one 
morning  with  an  anxious  face,  and  said:  — 

"Ef  young  Mars  Mortimer  was  feelin' 
peart  enough  to  go  'long  back  whar  he  come 
f'm,  I  reckin  'twould  be  er  mighty  sensible 
thing  ter  do. " 

My  grandfather  turned  about  sharply  :  — 

"What's  this,  Isham?  What  do  you 
mean?" 

"I  mean,  sah,  dat  de  po'  whites  is  gab- 
blin'  might' ly  'bout  how  it  was  jes'  his  talk- 
in'  ter  Nat  an'  dem  what  stir  'em  up  ter  dat 
hell's  wuk;  an'  dey  do  say  as  how  it  lay 
'tween  him  an'  Nat,  an',  ef  dey  don'  ketch 
Nat  fo'  long,  dey  gwine  settle  things  up 
wid  our  Mars  Mortimer,  sah." 

"Is  this  really  true,  do  you  think,  Isham?" 

Uncle  Isham  half  closed  his  wrinkled  eye 
lids:  "Befo'  Gord,  I'se  a- feared  it's  so, 
marster;  an'  you  better  git  'im  clean  off 
somewhar  'fo'  de  storm  busts." 

"You  are  right,  Isham,  I  shall  speak  to 
Mr.  Mortimer.  You  were  wise  to  come  to 


Their  Shadows  Before       153 

me  at  once.  Curse  the  miscreants!"  he 
muttered  to  himself.  "Do  they  dare  to 
threaten  a  guest  beneath  my  roof?  I'll 
teach  them  to  meddle  with  gentlemen !  " 

Uncle  Isham  lingered  at  the  door.  "An' 
dey  ain'  no  time  ter  lose,  neider,  marster. " 

"You  are  right  again.  Go  tell  Mr.  Mor 
timer  I  wish  to  see  him  here  in  the  library 
at  once. ' ' 

Uncle  Isham  performed  his  commission 
with  alacrity,  and  a  moment  later  Mr.  Mor 
timer  appeared.  The  excitement  of  the  last 
few  weeks  had  left  a  visible  mark  upon  him. 

"Mortimer,  you  must  get  ready  to  go  with 
me  to  Richmond  to-morrow." 

Mr.  Mortimer  looked  surprised,  but  ac 
quiesced. 

"I  will  try  to  be  ready,"  he  said.  "I 
should  have  liked  to  get  a  few  more  speci 
mens  " — 

"Oh,  damn  your  specimens!"  said  my 
grandfather,  testily.  He  was  not  inclined  to 
science.  "I  had  hoped  to  have  you  stay 


154      Their  Shadows  Before 

with  us  until  you  were  strong  and  well 
again;  but  the  truth  is,  Mortimer,  these 
idiotic  white  paupers  around  here  have  got 
it  into  their  heads  that  it  was  you  who 
stirred  up  the  negroes.  On  the  whole,  I 
think  it's  best  to  get  you  out  of  the  way 
before  they  attempt  anything  disagreeable." 

Mr.  Mortimer  turned  very  white. 

"Do  they  think  I  instigated  those  hideous 
crimes?  Well,  let  them  think!  I  will 
stand  my  ground.  I  will  not  run  away,  like 
a  criminal !  " 

"But  you  don't  know  the  ruffians.  For 
the  first  time  in  my  life  I  ask  a  guest  to 
leave  my  house. ' ' 

"Of  course,  I  understand  that  my  pres 
ence  here  must  be  disagreeable  and  incon 
venient  under  the  circumstances.  I  shall  be 
more  considerate  than  to  remain.  If  you 
will  let  one  of  the  men  take  my  boxes  over 
to  the  inn  at  Jerusalem,  I  shall  be  greatly 
obliged.  I  shall  certainly  not  steal  away 
like  a  fugitive  from  justice/' 


Their  Shadows  Before       155 

"You  totally  misunderstand  me!"  ex 
claimed  my  grandfather.  "If  you  stay  in 
Southampton  County  like  a  fool,  you  stay  in 
my  house,  I  say ! ' '  He  began  to  walk  up 
and  down  the  room  rapidly  as  he  was  wont 
to  do  when  under  great  excitement.  "I  don't 
know  how  this  wretched  business  is  going 
to  end,  but  we'll  stand  together.  I'll  show 
these  mongrels  what  they  will  get  if  they 
dare  to  insult  by  word  or  look  an  inmate  of 
my  house.  Keep  your  pistols  loaded,  Mor 
timer;  and  I  will  carry  mine.  We'll  teach 
them  how  to  behave  to  gentlemen !  It'll  be 
rare  sport,  eh,  Mortimer?  Rare  sport,  I 
say!"  My  grandfather's  blood  was  rising. 

Mr.  Mortimer  laughed.  "I  never  carried 
a  pistol  in  my  life,"  said  he.  "I  think 
you'll  find  there's  no  occasion  for  such  war 
like  preparation.  The  whole  thing  has  been 
exaggerated,  no  doubt. ' ' 

"Well,  maybe  so,"  remarked  my  grand 
father,  dubiously;  "but  Isham  is  discreet, 
and,  to  tell  the  truth,  since  the  darkies  have 


156      Their  Shadows  Before 

risen  against  us, —  and,  if  it  hadn't  been  for 
that  storm,  they  might  partially  have  suc 
ceeded,  too, —  why,  I  admit  I  believe  any 
thing  is  likely  to  occur." 

"I  never  knew  you  to  be  nervous  before," 
said  my  tutor;  "but  we  have  had  enough  to 
shake  nerves  of  steel  lately. ' ' 

"There  is  no  more  danger  from  them," 
said  the  master  of  Winston  Manor. 

The  two  gentlemen  were  still  talking  in 
low,  earnest  tones,  when  I  noticed  two  men 
on  the  avenue  riding  up  toward  the  house. 

"Sheriff  Lawson,  as  I  live!"  exclaimed 
my  grandfather.  He  went  out  into  the 
great  hall,  and  opened  the  door.  "Good 
day,  Mr.  Lawson,"  he  said  cheerily. 
"How  fares  it  with  you  to-day?" 

"Bad  enough,  squire,"  answered  the 
man.  "Fact  is,  squire,  I  come  down  to 
see  you  very  partic'lar. " 

"What  can  I  do  for  you?  But  get  off  and 
come  into  the  house  where  you  can  speak 
freely,  you  and  your  friend.  " 


Their  Shadows  Before       157 

"Much  obliged,"  was  the  reply;  "but 
we'd  rather  not  be  showed  off  more'n  can  be 
helped,  this  here  business  bein'  kind  er 
private,  so  to  speak." 

"That's  all  right,"  said  my  grandfather; 
and  he  ushered  the  two  men  into  the  little 
smoking-room  back  of  the  library.  Mr. 
Mortimer  and  I  could  distinctly  hear  every 
word  of  the  conversation  that  followed,  and 
I  could  see  through  the  partly  open  door. 

"Well,  what's  the  trouble?"  asked  my 
grandfather. 

The  sheriff  crossed  his  legs  nervously. 
"It's  just  this,  squire.  They're  after  the 
young  feller  from  the  No'th  that's  been 
stoppin'  with  you  fer  a  spell." 

"Well?"  said  my  grandfather,  interroga 
tively. 

Mr.  Lawson  cleared  his  throat  in  an  em 
barrassed  manner.  "Well,  squire,  I've 
allers  found  you  a  good  frien'  to  me  an' 
mine.  So  me  an'  Joe  come  down  to  make  a 
little  proposition.  You  see  this  ain't  no 


158      Their  Shadows  Before 

kind  er  business  to  fool  with.  The  Piney 
Cove  gang  and  the  Ginseng  gang  have  done 
swore  to  swing  Nat  Turner  or  the  young 
feller.  It  'pears  like  they  don'  care  so  much 
which  one  it  be,  so  it's  one.  They  have 
done  set  ter-morrer  night  as  the  limit." 

My  grandfather's  face  grew  rigid.  "Is 
there  no  trace  of  Turner  yet?  "  he  inquired. 

"Nary  track  nor  scent,  sir  There's  two 
parties  searching  the  swamps  now,  but  I 
doubt  if  it'll  do  any  good." 

"Well,  what  do  you  propose  to  do?" 
There  was  an  unmistakable  note  of  defiance 
in  the  voice  of  the  questioner. 

"Th'  ain't  but  one  way  :  I've  got  to  arrest 
'im." 

"Arrest  an  innocent  gentleman  in  my 
house?  Never!  I  shall  defend  him  to  the 
utmost  if  necessary ! ' ' 

Sheriff  Lawson  looked  around  cautiously. 
"For  your  sake  an  his,  squire,  we've  come 
down  here  to  get  that  feller  behind  the  jail 
walls  afore  the  mob's  out.  There's  a  party 


Their  Shadows  Before       159 

of  two  hundred  goin'  ter  rampage  ter-morrer 
night.  Ef  they  find  out  he's  already  been 
arrested,  it  may  simmer  'em  down.  Ef  it 
don't,  why  we  an'  you  together  can  put  a 
gyuard  aroun'  the  ol'  Jerusalem  jail  that'll 
bring  'em  to  reason.  Ain't  that  so,  Joe?  " 

The  other  man  raised  his  eyes  from  the 
flowers  in  the  carpet  for  the  first  time,  and 
answered  briefly,  "That  there's  a  true 
bill!" 

"An'  now  you  know  the  case,  sir,  we'd 
better  be  movin',  hadn't  we,  Joe?  " 

"Fer  a  fac',"  replied  Joe. 

My  grandfather  grasped  Mr.  Lawson's 
hand.  "It  shall  be  as  you  say."  Then  he 
called  Mr.  Mortimer. 

"I  am  ready,"  answered  my  tutor,  step 
ping  into  the  room.  "I  thank  you,"  he 
said,  turning  to  the  two  men,  "for  what  you 
have  done  for  me.  You  are  perfectly  right : 
it  is  the  only  possible  chance  I  shall  have." 
He  held  out  his  hand  to  my  grandfather,  but 
the  latter  said  in  a  matter-of-fact  way, — 


160      Their  Shadows  Before 

"I  have  got  business  in  Jerusalem.  I  am 
going  along  with  you. " 

For  a  moment  my  tutor's  face  was  illum 
ined  with  a  rare,  dazzling  light.  I  rushed 
into  the  room,  and  clung  desperately  to  his 
arm,  weeping  and  sobbing.  He  unclasped 
my  hands  gently. 

"Don't  cry,  dear.  I  know  that  I  shall  be 
back  here  soon. ' ' 

"I  promise  you  that,  Penelope,"  said  my 
grandfather,  stoutly.  But  that  did  not  reas 
sure  me. 

After  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with 
my  grandmother,  who  dissembled  her  fear  at 
being  left  alone  for  even  a  short  period,  and 
a  few  words  of  admonition  to  the  patrollers, 
guards,  and  slaves,  the  little  party  left  us  to 
entertain  the  invisible  guests  of  terror  and 
suspense. 

All  the  afternoon  I  was  feverish  and  mis 
erable,  my  head  felt  oddly  dull  and  numb. 
Oh,  if  only  I  could  remember  something! 
What  was  it?  Something  I  promised  some- 


Their  Shadows  Before      161 

body  to  do  or  not  to  do.  I  began  vaguely  to 
realise  that  in  some  way  my  silence  might 
be  a  factor  in  the  working  of  evil  toward 
Mr.  Mortimer,  when  I  heard  my  grand 
mother  murmur  to  herself,  her  eyes  fixed 
strangely  on  my  face,  "If  only  the  child 
could  tell!" 

Tell  what  ?     That  was  the  question. 


Chapter  X. 

I  DO  not  believe  that  any  one  at  the 
manor  slept  much  that  night.  When  I 
rose  up  next  morning  and  looked  out  from 
my  dormer  window,  the  bright  sunshine 
seemed  to  mock  the  interior  gloom  of  my 
heart.  The  twitter  of  the  birds  chirping 
their  morning  salutation,  and  the  low  hum 
of  newly  awakened  insect  life  that  is  so  dis 
tinct  in  the  early  day  in  the  country,  irri 
tated  me.  The  croaking  of  the  frogs  in  the 
morass  seemed  ominous.  Every  nerve  in 
my  body  was  strained  and  tense.  All  night 
Mr.  Mortimer's  pale  face  had  haunted  my 
dreams,  and  I  was  physically  as  well  as 
mentally  worn  out. 

What  would  they  do  to  him  ?  What  right 
had  they  to  do  anything  to  him  ?  Surely,  my 
grandfather  would  not  allow  any  one  to 
injure  him.  The  governor  was  his  close 
friend,  and  it  was  not  far  to  Richmond. 
But  suppose  the  governor  was  not  at  home : 


Their  Shadows  Before      163 

what  then  ?  Suppose  they  did  not  find  Nat 
Turner.  These  and  a  thousand  other  tortur 
ing  thoughts  passed  and  repassed  through 
my  restless  brain.  Neither  my  grandmother 
nor  I  made  more  than  a  pretence  of  eating 
breakfast  that  morning,  though  her  strong 
faith  in  my  grandfather's  influence  through 
out  the  county  gave  her  grounds  for  hoping 
that  our  friend  would  soon  be  relieved  from 
the  danger  of  his  position. 

I  remember  how  we  both  tried  to  talk 
about  indifferent  matters,  as  people  always 
do  when  a  momentous  or  absorbing  interest 
oppresses  them ;  how  we  made  excuses  to  go 
to  the  door  or  window  every  little  while  to 
see  if  any  one  were  coming  down  the  road, 
which  was  visible  for  a  short  distance  from 
the  front  of  the  house.  This  inarticulate 
anxiety  that  expresses  itself  in  a  thousand 
trifling  actions  is  far  harder  to  bear  than  that 
which  one  dares  to  voice.  All  day  I  had 
felt  a  strange  sensation  in  my  head,  as 
though  I  were  groping  about  for  something 


1 64      Their  Shadows  Before 

in  the  dark.  This  feeling  grew  stronger  as 
the  long  hours  went  by.  I  kept  putting  my 
hands  to  my  head  and  kept  rubbing  my 
eyes  as  if  to  gain  a  clearer  vision.  My 
grandmother  observed  the  frequently  re 
peated  gesture. 

"Why  do  you  do  that,  Penelope?"  she 
asked. 

"I  don't  exactly  know,"  I  answered 
vaguely.  "I  feel  as  if  I  were  trying  to  see 
something, —  I  don't  know  what." 

The  clock  on  the  stair  landing  sounded 
the  stroke  of  two  just  as  I  spoke,  and  I  gave 
a  startled  cry ;  for  I  felt  a  great  wave  of  recol 
lection  stir  the  pulses  of  my  brain.  I  saw 
the  moonlit  room,  the  flash  of  steel,  the 
horrible  faces  around  me,  and  Mammy's 
passionate  anguish,  —  all  of  the  dreadful 
scene  that  had  temporarily  been  erased  from 
my  memory.  There  was  a  blank  moment; 
and  then,  as  I  sat  with  my  face  buried  in  my 
hands,  another  picture  took  form  and  color 
before  my  mental  vision.  I  saw  the  long, 


Their  Shadows  Before      165 

low,  cavernous  vault,  with  something  white 
showing  at  the  farther  end.  One  by  one 
every  detail  of  my  singular  experience  ap 
peared  to  me,  like  a  set  of  views  unrolled 
upon  a  magic  screen.  I  saw  the  cavity  that 
was  the  entrance  to  this  curious  place,  and 
the  rough  ladder  that  led  down  to  it  through 
the  body  of  a  hollow  tree,  a  giant  oak,  the 
rotten  interior  of  which  had  been  hollowed 
out  by  a  cunning  hand  until  it  was  suffi 
ciently  large  to  form  a  means  of  ingress  or 
egress  to  and  from  the  hiding-place  below. 
Close  to  this  tree  ran  a  foot-path  through  the 
tobacco  fields  straight  toward  our  boundary 
line  marked  by  the  old  juniper.  I  seemed 
to  see  myself  climbing  up  the  ladder  to  the 
carefully  concealed  opening  in  the  trunk  of 
the  tree.  From  this  odd  tower  I  was  gently 
let  down  and  gently  set  upon  the  winding 
path,  which  I  followed  instinctively. 

Everything  was  clear  to  me  now.  The 
words  of  the  sheriff  came  back  to  me:  "If 
they  don't  catch  Nat,  squire,  they're  goin' 


1 66      Their  Shadows  Before 

ter  settle  things  up  with  the  young  feller." 
I  started  up  wildly.  How  could  any  one 
ever  find  that  place  that  was  so  near  and  yet 
so  far  away!  Mr.  Mortimer's  life  was  in 
danger  if  Nat  Turner  was  not  discovered, 
and  I  knew  where  he  was ! 

"Quick!"  I  cried.  "I  remember  now, 
—  I  must  go, —  I  must  tell  them.  I  must 
see  grandfather ! ' ' 

My  grandmother  laid  a  detaining  hand  on 
my  shoulder. 

"What  ails  you,  child?  Try  to  calm 
yourself,  Penelope.  What  are  you  talking 
about  ?  What  is  it  you  remember  ? ' ' 

"I  can't  stop  to  tell  you,"  I  replied.  "I 
must  tell  them  where  he  is.  I  know !  I 
know  now.  Oh,  let  me  go  quick  before  it's 
too  late  to  save  Mr.  Mortimer. 

I  do  not  think  that  my  grandmother  had 
any  thought  but  that  I  had  gone  quite  daft. 

I  believe  that  she  decided  instantly  that 
the  easiest  and  perhaps  the  only  way  to 
pacify  me  was  to  accede  to  my  demands. 


Their  Shadows  Before      167 

She  ordered  the  carriage  to  be  fetched  at 
once. 

"Come  now,  child,  you  shall  go  to  your 
grandfather/'  she  said  soothingly,  "only  do 
try  to  be  more  calm.  I  shall  myself  take 
you  to  him  at  once." 

Then  she  bade  Mammy  bring  out  wine 
and  biscuits,  which  she  insisted  should  be 
consumed  before  I  set  out  upon  the  long 
drive  to  Jerusalem.  The  poor  old  lady  was 
very  much  upset  by  what  she  considered  this 
latest  calamity.  She  told  Mammy  to  get  in 
the  carriage,  and  made  Uncle  Isham  ride  on 
the  box  with  Ephraim.  The  possibility  of 
having  a  child-maniac  to  look  after  was  one 
which  appeared  to  collapse  her  usual  strength 
and  firmness;  and  she  followed  Mammy's 
every  suggestion  meekly,  having  none  to 
offer  herself. 

"You  jes'  put  yo'  hade  right  here  on 
Mammy's  lap,"  said  my  old  nurse,  as  she 
rolled  up  an  impromptu  pillow;  "kase 
Mammy's  lamb  got  er  bad  misery  in  de 


1 68      Their  Shadows  Before 

hade,  sho'.  See,  dar,  ain't  dat  nice  and 
sof '  ?  Den,  when  we  gits  ter  Jerus'lem, 
you'll  jes'  feel  smart  an'  peart  agin.  Dar 
now,  shet  yo'  eyes  an'  go  ter  sleep  now. 
Dat's  jes'  what  ails  you." 

I  obeyed  the  first  part  of  this  injunction, 
but  the  latter  was  out  of  the  question.  We 
had  made  several  miles  of  our  journey  when 
a  new  aspect  of  the  situation  presented  it 
self  to  my  troubled  mind.  I  was  going  over 
and  over  all  of  the  dreadful  possibilities  that 
might  be  ahead,  when  suddenly  I  remem 
bered  my  promise  to  the  man  who  had  saved 
my  life.  "I  swear  I  will  not  tell  them 
where  you  are. ' '  The  words  danced  in  fiery 
letters  before  me,  and  yet  that  was  just 
what  I  was  on  my  way  to  do.  I  sprang  up 
and  burst  into  a  fit  of  sobbing  that  seemed 
to  rend  me  in  twain.  I  felt  as  though  my 
heart  would  burst  with  the  strain.  I  would 
have  to  tell  my  whole  story  and  break  my 
oath  to  my  rescuer,  or  be  silent  and  let  Mr. 
Mortimer  suffer  —  I  did  not  know  what  — 


Their  Shadows  Before      169 

death,  perhaps.  My  grandmother  and 
Mammy  tried  to  comfort  me,  but  it  was  use 
less.  I  could  not  tell  them  my  grief  and 
terror.  I  felt  as  if  my  worst  fears  might 
take  the  bodily  form  of  reality  if  I  voiced 
them,  and  was  silent,  except  for  the  long, 
dry  sobs  that  shook  me  at  intervals. 

We  had  driven  with  more  than  usual  speed, 
and  had  almost  entered  the  outskirts  of  the 
village,  somewhat  earlier  than  we  had  ex 
pected  to  do.  As  we  reached  the  cross-roads, 
we  observed  a  small  cavalcade  of  horsemen 
approaching  from  the  direction  of  the 
swamp.  Uncle  Isham  leaned  forward,  and 
put  an  anxious  face  in  at  the  carriage  window. 

"It  'pears  ter  be  some  strange  doin's  over 
yander, "  he  said.  "Mus'  we  drive  on,  Mis- 
t'is,  or  mus'  we  tu'n  back?  " 

My  grandmother  watched  the  little  pro' 
cession  for  a  moment,  arid  then  glanced  at 
me. 

"Drive  on,"  she  said,  "and  stop  at  the 
village  inn.  I  must  see  your  master.  Try 
to  get  ahead  of  those  people. ' ' 


i7°      Their  Shadows  Before 

Ephraim  gave  the  horses  a  flick  with  his 
whip,  and  the  lumbering  vehicle  rolled  on 
apace.  For  a  few  moments  we  had  the  road 
to  ourselves,  but  the  way  was  soon  blocked 
again. 

"It's  er  funeril  percession,  Mist' is.  Fer 
de  Lord's  sake,  don't  let  Ephrurn  pass  it,  or 
we'll  have  bad  luck,  sho'.  Dat  sign  don't 
never  fail." 

Mammy's  voice  was  excited.  My  grand 
mother  knew  in  what  special  dread  the  ne 
groes  held  this  superstition,  so  she  motioned 
to  Ephraim  to  stop.  He  did  so,  drawing 
the  carriage  to  one  side  in  order  to  give  free 
passage  to  our  fellow-travellers. 

As  the  horsemen  drew  nearer,  we  perceived 
that  Mammy  was  mistaken.  In  the  middle 
of  the  group  was  an  ox-cart,  in  which  sat  a 
solitary  figure.  The  mounted  men,  who 
seemed  to  be  a  guard  over  the  occupant  of 
the  cart,  were  silent.  I  wondered  if  this 
was  because  they  had  recognised  our  carriage. 
For  an  instant  the  strain  upon  me  was  re- 


Their  Shadows  Before 

laxed :  a  curiosity  to  know  what  this  cortege 
meant  acted  as  a  tonic  to  my  nerves. 

"What  are  they  doing?"  I  asked,  as  I 
leaned  out  to  see  more  clearly. 

The  movement  brought  me  face  to  face 
with  the  Black  Prophet ! 

"It's  Nat!  "  said  Mammy,  in  a  half  whis 
per.  "Now  Gord  be  merciful!  Dey  done 
cotched  him  at  las' !  " 

I  gazed  at  the  familiar  face,  fascinated  by 
its  solemn  intensity.  My  grandmother 
turned  very  pale,  but  summoned  courage 
enough  to  motion  to  one  of  the  horsemen  to 
come  to  her  side,  in  order  that  she  might 
inquire  if  this  were  true. 

"True  as  the  gospel,  ma'am,"  was  the 
reply,  spoken  in  a  low  voice.  "He  done 
like  he  thought  hisself  a  general,  ma'am,  —  he 
did.  Laid  down  his  ole  ramshackle  gun  as 
if  he  was  surrenderin'  to  another  general. 
If  Ike  hadn't  tu'ned  state's  evidence,  we 
wouldn't  er  got  'im,  thet's  my  opinion. 
He's  a  brave  man,  anyhow." 


iT 2      Their  Shadows  Before 

"When  did  you  —  make  this  discovery?  " 
inquired  my  grandmother. 

"  'Twas  just  two  o'clock  to  the  dot,"  an 
swered  the  man.  "I  looked  at  my  watch 
just  as  Joe  put  the  rope  on  his  arms.  He 
just  said,  'The  hour  is  come/  and  held  out 
his  hands.  He  knew  it  was  all  over,  I 
reckon. ' ' 

Had  Nathaniel  Turner  removed  his  in 
fluence  from  me  at  the  very  moment  he  had 
given  up  all  hope  of  escape?  My  child- 
mind  did  not  formulate  this  question  then, 
but  in  after  years  it  propounded  itself  to  me 
with  strong  insistence. 

Just  then  the  man  in  the  cart  recognised 
me.  I  felt  his  luminous  gaze  fixed  on  my 
face. 

"Your  lips  are  unsealed,  white  child,"  he 
said  distinctly.  "It  will  not  matter  now." 

"You  keep  yo'  mouth  shet,  nigger," 
called  out  one  of  the  men  roughly.  The 
captive  did  not  appear  to  hear  the  rebuke. 

' '  Is  there  no  way  for  us  or  for  you  to  get 


Their  Shadows  Before       173 

into  Jerusalem  but  by  this  road?  "  asked  my 
grandmother,  who,  besides  being  greatly 
distressed  by  what  we  were  seeing,  was  now 
growing  very  much  alarmed,  not  knowing 
what  might  happen  when  the  news  of  the 
capture  should  become  circulated.  The 
man  shook  his  head. 

"But  your  nigger  can  drive  ahead,  an' 
we'll  try  to  keep  behind  and  let  you  get 
there  before  we-all. " 

"Thank  you.  Drive  on,  Ephraim.  Don't 
spare  the  horses,"  she  ordered.  But  the 
road  was  muddy  from  the  recent  rain,  and 
we  found  it  impossible  for  our  heavy  family 
coach  to  keep  ahead.  Thus  we  found  our 
selves  in  the  unpleasant  position  of  vanguard 
to  the  procession. 

One  great  burden  had  been  lifted  from  me 
by  that  briefly  spoken  sentence:  "Your  lips 
are  unsealed. "  I  would  not  be  obliged  to 
break  my  word  now,  and  I  felt  guilty  at  the 
song  my  heart  sang, — "Mr.  Mortimer  is 
saved  !  Mr.  Mortimer  is  saved  ! ' ' 


174      Their  Shadows  Before 

Sheriff  Lawson  had  been  notified  by  a 
messenger  of  what  had  happened,  and  had  a 
strong  guard  ready  to  protect  the  prisoner, 
should  violence  be  attempted.  As  the  little 
cortege  approached  the  village,  and  passed 
through  the  long  narrow  street,  at  one  end 
of  which  the  jail  was  located,  a  mob  col 
lected  to  view  the  captured  negro.  Perhaps 
the  fact  that  the  Winston  carriage  was  in 
the  street  had  something  to  do  with  quelling 
the  angry  outburst  from  the  crowd ;  but  I 
think,  too,  that  there  was  something  in  the 
aspect  of  the  prisoner  that  forbade  ribald 
jest  or  vulgar  manifestation.  Sitting  there 
half -starved,  uncouth  in  his  rags,  he  was 
composed,  calm,  almost  indifferent.  Over 
his  tattered  clothing  he  wore  the  garment  of 
dignity.  Helpless  and  patient  as  the  ox 
that  was  bearing  him  on  toward  the  scaffold, 
he  sat  there;  but  there  was  no  fear  in  his 
solemn  face,  and  his  courage  commanded 
respect. 

The  inn  was  some  little  distance  beyond, 


Their  Shadows  Before      175 

and  the  increasing  crowd  made  it  almost  im 
possible  for  our  coach  to  proceed.  My 
grandmother  and  Mammy  were  sitting  as  far 
back  as  possible,  in  order  to  escape  observa 
tion.  The  central  figure  of  the  gloomy  car 
avan  was  so  close  to  us  that  we  could  hear 
what  was  said  very  distinctly.  The  man 
who  rode  next  to  the  prisoner  watched  him 
curiously. 

"Well,  Nat,"  he  remarked,  "it  was  one 
of  your  own  men  who  tole  us  whar  to  find 
you.  There's  not  a  nigger  in  Southampton 
who'll  stand  by  you  now." 

Turner  did  not  answer  for  a  little  space. 
He  was  looking  into  the  distance.  "One  of 
the  twelve  was  a  traitor,"  he  said  calmly. 
"I  knew  one  of  them  would  betray  me." 

As  I  heard  the  words,  a  lump  rose  in  my 
throat.  And  I  had  been  going  to  betray 
him ! 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  get  out  of  this," 
said  my  grandmother,  desperately.  "I  can 
not  endure  it. ' ' 


176      Their  Shadows  Before 

"Gentlemen,  will  you  not  let  this  lady's 
carriage  turn  to  the  left  ? ' '  cried  the  voice 
of  my  grandfather,  with  a  ring  of  command 
in  it.  And  then,  as  if  by  magic,  a  way  was 
opened;  and  we  turned  down  a  little  lane 
and  drew  rein  before  the  sign  of  the  Blue 
Dragon.  Grandfather  was  at  the  carriage 
door  to  meet  us,  pale,  dishevelled,  weary. 

"What  on  earth  brought  you  here?"  he 
inquired  in  utter  amazement  at  this  unex 
pected  meeting. 

"I  will  explain,"  gasped  my  grandmother, 
in  a  broken  voice.  "O  Christopher,'  thank 
God  you  are  here,  and  thank  God  Mr.  Mor 
timer  is  safe  now. " 

"Let  us  hope  so,"  returned  my  grand 
father,  briefly ;  and  then  we  were  ushered 
into  the  little  parlour  of  the  Blue  Dragon, 
exhausted  and  overcome  with  the  strain  of 
excitement,  but  with  a  new  hope  in  our 
hearts. 


Chapter  XL 

ALTHOUGH  we  had  often  stopped  at 
the  village  inn  for  a  noonday  meal 
during  our  excursions  into  Jerusalem,  I  had 
no  acquaintance  with  the  interior  habili 
ments  of  the  Blue  Dragon;  and  the  unfamil 
iar  objects  in  the  room  about  me  filled  me 
with  a  sensation  of  lost  identity,  when  I 
opened  my  eyes  next  morning.  I  dressed 
myself  quickly,  and  was  ready  before 
Mammy  tapped  at  my  door  to  announce 
breakfast.  My  grandparents  were  at  table 
when  I  entered  the  little  parlour,  which 
served  as  a  private  breakfast-room  on  this 
occasion.  I  think  my  grandfather  read  in 
my  eyes  the  question  I  dared  not  ask. 

"Mr  Mortimer  is  all  right,  Penelope, — 
that  is,  as  far  as  he  can  be  in  that  wretched 
place.  So  come,  eat  your  breakfast. ' ' 

He  drew  my  chair  close  to  his  own,  and 
broke  an  egg  for  me. 

"I  am  afraid   that   you   and  your  grand- 


178      Their  Shadows  Before 

mother  had  a  bad  time  of  it  at  the  manor 
yesterday. ' ' 

"We  did,  sir,  —  very  bad." 

"  Your  grandmother  says  you  can  tell  us 
now  what  happened  to  you  the  night  of  the 
insurrection.  Do  you  still  remember  about 
it?  "  He  spoke  very  gently. 

"Everything,"  I  answered.  "It  all  came 
back  yesterday,  just  when  the  clock  struck 
two. ' '  I  tried  to  speak  as  calmly  as  I 
could,  but  my  voice  trembled. 

"Hmh!  "  said  my  grandfather  :  "that  was 
the  exact  time  Turner  was  taken." 

"Isn't  it  strange?  "  commented  my  grand 
mother,  in  a  hushed  voice. 

"Then  I  began  to  remember  it  all  in 
pictures,"  I  continued;  and  I  told  the  whole 
story  as  clearly  and  concisely  as  I  could. 

"Hmh!"  repeated  my  grandfather. 
"It's  beyond  me,  —  the  whole  thing.  Could 
you  tell  this  to  any  one  but  me?  To 
strangers,  I  mean,  without  getting  fright 
ened?" 


Their  Shadows  Before       179 

"I  could;  but,  O  grandfather,  I  swore  not 
to  tell,  and,  unless  it's  to  save  Mr.  Morti 
mer,  I  don't  want  to  break  my  word.  I 
know  Uncle  Nat  killed  people,  women  and 
babies;  but  I  think  he  thought  he  was  born 
to  do  it,  and  he  couldn't  help  doing  it. 
And,  anyway,  he  saved  my  life;  and,  un 
less  it's  to  save  Mr.  Mortimer,  I  won't, — 
I  can't!" 

My  hands  were  cold  as  I  twisted  them 
together  in  an  anguish  of  conflicting  emo 
tions. 

"The  child  is  right,  Christopher,"  said 
my  grandmother. 

"I  think  it  will  be  unnecessary  for  her 
to  do  more  than  to  corroborate  Mortimer's 
statement  concerning  that  scene  they  wit 
nessed  in  the  swamp.  Except  at  that  time 
he  never  saw  the  negro;  and,  as  Nat  never 
saw  him  at  all,  his  statement  to  that  effect, 
together  with  my  own  testimony,  will,  I 
think,  clear  Mortimer  from  all  suspicion  as 
to  complicity  in  the  matter.  The  governor 


i8o      Their  Shadows  Before 

has  ordered  an  immediate  trial.  I  shall  do 
what  I  can  to  get  the  sentence  commuted  on 
the  ground  of  insanity,  but  I  fear  there  is 
no  hope  of  success.  I  think  it  will  be  con 
sidered  necessary  to  make  an  example  for 
the  future. 

"Now,  Penelope,  are  you  brave  enough  to 
answer  the  questions  they  will  ask  you 
there?" 

"I'd  do  a  hundred  times  as  much  for  Mr. 
Mortimer,"  I  cried. 

"You  like  Mr.  Mortimer  very  much,  eh?  " 
My  grandfather  appeared  to  be  pondering 
upon  something  quite  intently.  "Well 
enough  to  be  willing  to  be  under  his  care, 
when  your  grandmother  and  I  are  taken 
from  you  ? ' ' 

"Oh,  don't  talk  about  being  taken  away 
from  me;  but  I  think,  sir,  if  it  was  to  hap 
pen,  that  I'd  like  to  live  with  Mr.  Morti 
mer  always,  and  I  would  go  to  the  end  of  the 
world  with  him. " 

My  grandparents  both  laughed. 


Their  Shadows  Before      181 

"What!  Would  you  turn  into  a 
Yankee?" 

"I  would  always  be  a  Virginian  as  I  was 
born,  sir ;  but  I  think  the  Yankees  are  right 
about  the  slaves.  I'm  an  Abolitionist  my 
self." 

"If  that's  so,  I'll  give  you  to  Mortimer 
as  soon  as  he  gets  out  of  Jerusalem  jail !  " 
said  my  grandfather.  "We  don't  want  any 
Abolitionists  in  Southampton  County." 

"I  mean,  sir,  that  I  think  owning  human 
beings  is  wicked. " 

"Little girls  don't  know  what  they  think! 
They  have  no  business  to  think  at  all  on 
such  subjects,"  remarked  the  old  gentle 
man,  with  a  touch  of  testiness.  "But  you 
are  a  brave  girl,  Penelope ;  and,  if  you  are 
summoned  as  a  witness,  I  shall  not  be  afraid 
for  you. "  And  he  patted  my  head. 

"I  do  trust,  Christopher,  that  it  may  not 
be  necessary,"  said  my  grandmother. 
"Will  we  have  to  stay  here  while  this 
wretched  trial  is  going  on?" 


1 82      Their  Shadows  Before 

" Nat's  trial  will  be  a  short  affair.  Mor 
timer's  may  come  after,  so  I  am  afraid  we 
shall." 

"It's  so  shockingly  vulgar  and  conspicu 
ous,  the  whole  thing,"  moaned  my  grand 
mother,  her  aristocratic  instincts  in  bitter 
revolt  at  the  situation. 

"So  also  are  imprisonment  and  hanging," 
he  remarked  drily.  "Basil  Mortimer  is  as 
brave  a  gentleman  as  ever  breathed,  and  a 
member  of  my  family  to  boot;  and  I  shall 
stand  by  him  to  the  end. " 

"But  I  thought  that  all  that  was  settled 
now  that  that  creature  has  been  taken  into 
custody. ' ' 

"So  I  hope,  but  there  is  still  a  strong 
prejudice  against  him.  If  Nat  testifies  that 
he  had  no  knowledge  of  him,  it  will  be  in 
his  favor,  and  " — 

"Uncle  Nat  will  not  tell  a  lie/'  I  inter 
rupted. 

"That's  a  singular  truth, "  said  my  grand 
father,  reflectively.  "He  murders  and  insti- 


Their  Shadows  Before      183 

gates  to  murder,  but  he  won't  lie.  Some 
times  I  almost  believe  that  he  is  absolutely 
deluded  into  believing  himself  a  thoroughly 
good  man.  You  know  his  foolish  old 
mother  says  a  blue  light  shone  over  his 
cradle  the  day  he  was  born,  and  she  has 
religiously  taught  the  fellow  from  his  child 
hood  that  God  created  him  for  some  great 
mission." 

"And  this  young  Northerner  has  deluded 
you  into  the  same  opinion,  it  appears,"  said 
my  grandmother,  her  delicate  nostrils  quiv 
ering  contemptuously.  "Bah!  How  I 
loathe  such  sickly  sentimentality!  After 
all,  sane  or  insane,  the  negro  is  a  desperate 
and  dangerous  criminal,  and  should  be  pun 
ished  to  the  extent  of  the  law. ' ' 

My  grandfather  rose  up  from  the  table. 

"It's  a  pity  the  Braxtons  have  gone  to 
Richmond." 

"I  wish  we  were  there,  and  out  of  this," 
was  the  reply. 

"Well,  we  can  arrange  to  go  there  just  as 


1 84      Their  Shadows  Before 

soon  as  Mortimer  is  released.  It  will  be  a 
good  change  for  Pen  and  for  all  of  us.  I 
shall  write  to  the  overseer  to-day.  " 

"Well,  then,  you  may  tell  him  to  tell 
Rebecca  [Rebecca  was  my  grandmother's 
maid]  to  pack  my  best  gowns  and  bonnets 
and  Penelope's  clothing  in  the  horsehair 
trunk,  and  see  that  it  is  sent  here  at  once." 

The  prospect  of  a  trip  to  Richmond 
cheered  my  grandmother's  spirits. 

As  my  grandfather  had  predicted,  the  trial 
of  Nathaniel  Turner  was  indeed  a  short 
affair.  His  counsel  knew  from  the  begin 
ning  that  the  fate  of  his  client  was  inexor 
ably  fixed,  and  the  negro's  voluntary  confes 
sion  made  any  defence  vain  and  futile.  The 
day  set  for  the  trial,  the  5th  of  November, 
found  the  village  of  Jerusalem  filled  to  over 
flowing  with  people  from  all  Southampton 
and  the  adjacent  counties;  and  grave  fears 
were  entertained  for  the  safety  of  both  the 
prisoners  lodged  in  the  jail.  A  powerful 
guard  had  been  placed  about  its  walls;  and, 


Their  Shadows  Before      185 

though  there  were  rumours  and  vague  threats 
abroad,  no  violent  demonstrations  were 
made. 

My  grandfather  had  volunteered  to  testify 
in  the  case,  and  he  made  a  strong  appeal  for 
clemency  toward  the  prisoner  on  the  ground 
of  insanity.  Mr.  Mortimer  took  the  same 
position,  and  made  a  fearless  and  passionate 
defence  of  his  fellow-prisoner.  The  sea  of 
faces  in  the  crowded  court-room  grew  dark 
and  lowering  as  my  tutor,  himself  accused, 
stood  before  them,  and  urged  that  mercy 
rather  than  justice  be  accorded.  I  was 
present,  having  been  summoned  as  a  wit 
ness;  and,  child  though  I  was,  I  realised 
that  Mr.  Mortimer  was  endangering  his  own 
position  and  arousing  more  hostile  feeling 
against  himself  by  what  he  was  saying.  Yet 
a  thrill  of  pride  and  exultation  filled  my 
heart  when  I  heard  his  fearless  words.  How 
handsome  and  brave  he  looked,  standing 
there  an  avowed  champion  for  the  doomed 
man ! 


1 86      Their  Shadows  Before 

When  the  black  prisoner  was  called  upon 
to  state  whether  he  had  ever  at  any  time 
held  any  communication  with  the  North 
erner,  there  was  a  breathless  hush  of  expec 
tancy  in  the  audience.  Nathaniel  Turner 
rose  up,  and  said  in  a  loud  voice,  facing  Mr. 
Mortimer, — 

"Until  this  day  I  never  saw  this  man!  " 

A  half-suppressed  murmur  of  disappoint 
ment  rippled  through  the  assembly,  but  was 
silenced  as  Mr.  Mortimer  then  proceeded  to 
relate  our  singular  experience  when  lost  in 
the  swamps. 

I,  too,  was  called  upon  to  tell  what  I 
knew ;  and  I  was  dimly  conscious  that  my 
story  had  a  momentary  influence  in  Nat's 
favor. 

Again  a  murmur  was  audible;  but  it  was 
a  murmur  of  wonder  and  of  pity,  followed 
by  a  profound  silence  as  I  continued.  You 
could  have  heard  a  pin  fall,  so  breathless 
and  intent  were  the  people  to  catch  my 
every  word.  The  eyes  of  the  negro  never 


Their  Shadows  Before       187 

left  my  face  while  I  was  on  the  witness 
stand;  and  I  think  that  he,  too,  was  con 
scious  that  my  testimony  weighed  in  his 
favor.  Yet,  as  my  grandfather  hurried  me 
out  of  the  court-room  after  it  was  over,  I 
knew  instinctively  what  the  end  would  be. 

Before  the  early  November  twilight  had 
closed  in  upon  the  day,  the  jury  brought  in 
a  verdict  of  guilty.  The  date  for  the  exe 
cution  was  set  for  the  iith. 

Although,  as  one  result  of  Nat  Turner's 
trial,  the  hostile  feeling  against  my  tutor 
was  greatly  mitigated,  yet  it  appeared  that 
the  county  authorities  did  not  deem  it  expe 
dient  to  order  Mr.  Mortimer's  release  until 
the  eve  of  the  execution.  Public  attention, 
they  argued,  would  then  be  so  centred  on 
the  imminent  tragedy  that  his  departure 
with  us  would  hardly  be  remarked. 

I  do  not  know  how  we  could  have  borne 
the  sick,  weary  days  that  followed,  had  we 
not  been  upheld  by  the  hope  of  my  tutor's 
speedy  release.  But  on  the  afternoon  of  the 


1 88      Their  Shadows  Before 

loth  another  disappointment  awaited  us. 
All  our  preparations  for  leaving  had  been 
made,  when  my  grandfather  came  in,  and  an 
nounced  to  us  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  us  to  get  out  of  Jerusalem  until  the  fol 
lowing  morning. 

My  grandmother  clasped  her  hands  in 
consternation.  "It's  a  question  of  Penel 
ope's  life  now  to  get  her  away,"  she  said. 

' '  Oh,  take  me  away,  —  take  me  away  be 
fore  //  happens !  "  I  begged  imploringly. 

"I  will !  I  will !  "  said  my  grandfather. 
"  Lawson  said  it  was  best  for  Mortimer  to 
stay  at  the  jail  to-night.  To-morrow  morn 
ing  we  are  to  drive  there,  get  him,  and  be 
off  to  Richmond.  It's  the  only  way,  Law- 
son  says. 

"I  will  see  him  to-morrow,  I  will  see 
him  to-morrow,"  I  whispered  to  myself. 
"To-morrow?  O  day  of  wrath  and  dark 
ness  !  God  be  merciful  to  us  all  to-mor 
row  !  "  I  prayed. 


Chapter  XII. 

ON  the  morning  of  the  fatal  day  there 
was  only  one  cloud  in  the  sky,  but 
it  stretched  a  grey  pall  over  the  world  from 
pole  to  pole.  Downstairs  there  was  a  sound 
of  stir  and  bustle.  From  the  street  there 
came  a  rumbling  of  a  ceaseless  stream  of 
carts  and  waggons  and  the  clatter  of  many 
horses.  I  shuddered  as  I  heard  these 
sounds. 

No  one  spoke  more  than  a  brief  greeting 
when  I  appeared;  and  our  breakfast,  eaten 
by  candle-light,  was  despatched  in  silence. 
The  flicker  of  the  tallow  candles  cast  a 
wavering  light  over  the  table-cloth,  and  lent 
additional  pallor  to  our  faces. 

"  Come,"  said  my  grandfather,  "we  must 
be  off."  And,  after  a  short  fifteen  minutes 
of  final  preparation,  he  unceremoniously 
hurried  us  into  the  carriage. 

When  we  drew  up  at  the  rear  entrance  of 
the  jail,  Mr.  Lawson  was  there  to  meet  us. 


190      Their  Shadows  Before 

"  I  don'  know  what  you'll  say  to  it, 
squire,"  he  said  in  a  half-frightened,  half- 
apologetic  tone;  "but  he  wants  to  see  the 
little  lady.  I  don'  hardly  know  what  ter 
do,  sir;  but,  seein'  'twas  his  only  and  las' 
reques',  I  make  bold  ter  tell  you.  " 

My  grandmother  uttered  an  hysterical 
"  Impossible !  "  as  she  drew  me  closer  to  her 
side.  I  felt  as  though  my  heart  would  burst 
from  my  body.  My  grandfather  paused  ir 
resolutely. 

"I  — Penelope"— 

A  vision  of  my  tutor  rose  before  me,  and 
I  seemed  to  know  what  he  would  wish  me 
to  do. 

"I  will  — go.  He  saved  my  life,"  I 
said. 

"O  Christopher,  don't  allow  it!"  pro 
tested  my  grandmother. 

"  Hush  !  "  was  the  stern  reply.  "Come, 
Penelope." 

Never  shall  I  forget  what  I  felt  as  we  en 
tered  the  house  of  bondage.  Mr.  Mortimer 


Their  Shadows  Before       191 

was  waiting  in  the  little  hallway  to  receive 
us.  I  ran  to  him,  and  flung  my  arms  about 
him.  I  could  not  trust  myself  to  speak  for 
a  little  while. 

"He  wants  to  see  me,"  I  whispered  at 
last. 

"And  you?"  he  asked,  looking  down  into 
my  face. 

"I  will  go,"  I  said;  "but  you  must  go, 
too,  and  grandfather. ' ' 

Mr.  Mortimer  must  have  understood  that 
I  was  influenced  by  what  I  believed  to  be 
his  desire.  He  clasped  me  closer  to  him. 

"You  are  right,  Penelope,"  he  said. 

"If  it  must  be  done,  let  us  get  it  over 
with,"  broke  in  my  grandfather,  nervously. 
'  The  crowd  increases  every  moment. ' ' 
And  he  motioned  to  Mr.  Lawson. 

The  warden  bade  us  follow  him.  We 
turned  down  a  long  passage  to  the  left,  and 
paused  before  a  door  while  he  placed  the 
key  in  the  rusty  lock  of  the  condemned 
man's  cell.  The  negro  lay  on  a  straw  pallet 


192      Their  Shadows  Before 

in  the  corner.  The  deep  regular  breathing 
from  his  muscular  chest  betokened  a  dream 
less  sleep.  The  warden  paused. 

"  I  don't  like  to  wake  the  nigger,"  he 
said.  "Yet  it  ain't  right  not  ter  give  him 
a  chance  ter  prepare  for" —  He  did  not 
finish  the  sentence.  "Get  up,  Nat,"  he 
said,  laying  his  hand  on  the  negro's  shoul 
der.  "  Here's  the  little  lady  you  said  you 
wanted  ter  come. ' ' 

Nat  Turner  turned  his  head  slowly,  opened 
his  bloodshot  eyes,  and  gazed  earnestly  from 
one  to  another  of  his  visitors.  Raising  him 
self  up  on  one  elbow,  he  drew  with  his  other 
hand  a  roll  of  paper  from  under  the  straw. 

"  I  want  the  white  child  to  keep  this,"  he 
said,  holding  it  toward  me.  "  Let  my  tes 
timony  be  handed  down  to  the  people  of  her 
race  and  of  mine,  that,  when  the  end  is  ac 
complished,  all  may  know  it  was  truly  fore 
told  by  me,  Nathaniel,  the  prophet  of  the 
Lord." 

The    warden   shook   his   head   half   deri- 


Their  Shadows  Before       193 

sively,  half  pityingly,  as  he  placed  the  dirty 
paper  within  my  trembling  fingers. 

"  That  game's  up,  you  know,  now,  Nat," 
he  said.  "'Tain't  no  use  ter  go  ter  th* 
scaffold  lying.  " 

Mr.  Mortimer  looked  steadily  into  the 
negro's  face. 

"  I  believe  you  think  what  you  say  is 
true,"  he  said  slowly,  a  strange  conviction 
dawning  upon  his  mind. 

Nat  Turner  turned  his  burning  eyes  full 
upon  the  speaker,  with  a  look  of  ineffable 
joy.  ''May  God's  blessing  be  upon  you  for 
that,  Mr.  Mortimer!"  he  said. 

"But  you  must  not  think  that  I  do  not 
deplore  your  mistake, "  said  my  tutor;  "for 
it  has  been  all  a  dreadful  mistake.  Don't 
you  see  now  that  you  were  wrong,  that 
what  you  thought  was  your  mission  was  a 
failure?" 

"Was  Jesus'  effort  a  failure?  They 
killed  him,  too.'1 

My  grandfather  and  Mr.  Mortimer  glanced 


i94      Their  Shadows  Before 

uneasily  at  each  other.  How  strange  it  was 
to  stand  there  and  hear  this  negro  murderer 
compare  himself  to  Christ ! 

"The  work  of  Christ  lived  on  and  was 
accomplished  after  him,"  said  Mr.  Mor 
timer. 

Nat  Turner  rose  up  to  his  full  height. 

"And  mine  is  but  begun,  I  say  to  you. 
What  was  begun  in  blood  shall  be  accom 
plished  by  blood !" 

My  grandfather  was  greatly  impressed. 
"You  have  only  made  it  harder  for  your 
race  by  what  you  have  done,"  he  said,  "  and 
now  " — 

"And  now  —  I  die,"  said  the  condemned 
man,  in  a  low,  rapturous  voice.  "  Willing, 
—  ready, —  rejoicing.  For  I  have  seen" — 

The  tumult  in  the  street  grew  louder  as 
the  mob  increased  about  the  jail. 

"If  God  wills,"  he  continued,  "  it  shall 
be  revealed  to  his  prophet  when  the  time  of 
the  redemption  shall  be." 

He  lifted  his  eyes  as  he  spoke,  and  seemed 


Their  Shadows  Before      195 

to  gaze  into  some  far-off  yet  distinct  plane 
of  vision.  We  watched  the  rigid  features 
and  fixed  pupils  with  a  singular  sensation  of 
awe. 

"What  does  he  see?  "  I  asked  my  tutor, 
in  a  whisper. 

"God  knows,"  was  the  reply:  "this  is  a 
strange  world  we  live  in." 

Again  a  roar  from  the  street  warned  us 
that  it  was  full  time  for  us  to  go. 

"May  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  be  with 
you!"  said  Mr.  Mortimer,  reverently,  as  we 
turned  to  leave  the  cell.  For  a  moment  we 
each  of  us,  as  by  a  common  impulse,  bent 
in  an  involuntary  prayer.  The  motionless 
figure  did  not  seem  aware  of  our  presence, 
and  we  withdrew  in  silence.  Half-dazed, 
I  followed  my  grandfather  and  Mr.  Morti 
mer  to  the  door,  and  was  lifted  into  the  car 
riage.  Some  one  gave  a  sharp  order  to 
Uncle  Isham,  and  we  were  at  last  on  our 
way. 

The  streets  were  so  crowded  with  people 


i96      Their  Shadows  Before 

that  we  were  compelled  to  drive  through  by 
ways  for  some  distance  in  order  to  reach  the 
high  road.  My  grandparents  tried  to  divert 
me  as  much  as  was  possible,  as  I  was  now 
almost  completely  unnerved. 

"Did  Penelope  tell  you  that  we  are  going 
to  make  her  over  to  you,  Mortimer?"  joked 
my  grandfather. 

"Would  you  like  to  have  me?"  I  asked 
suddenly,  slipping  my  hand  into  that  of  my 
tutor. 

"Always  ?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  for  ever  and  ever  after  I  am  grown 
up." 

His  fingers  closed  tightly  over  mine. 

"Yes,  Penelope,  if  you  do  not  change 
your  mind." 

At  this  moment  the  carriage  turned  a 
corner.  As  far  as  eye  could  reach,  the 
crowd  seethed  and  ebbed  around  us.  Every 
available  bit  of  space  was  filled  with  people, 
house-tops,  fences,  lamp-posts,  everything. 
It  became  almost  impossible  to  move  along. 
My  grandfather  looked  at  his  watch. 


Their  Shadows  Before       19? 

"We  are  late,"  he  said,  and  then  ordered 
Uncle  Isham  to  try  to  get  ahead. 

But  the  crowd  pressed  forward  with  a  re 
newed  impulse,  and,  in  their  eagerness  to 
see,  climbed  up  on  the  carriage  wheels,  up  on 
the  shafts,  yes,  even  on  top  of  the  carriage ; 
and  nothing  could  hinder  them. 

' '  Hush  ! ' '  said  one.  "There  he  comes. ' ' 
The  crowd  swayed  forward  irresistibly;  and, 
caught  in  the  movement,  even  the  heavy 
coach  was  turned  and  twisted  together  with 
its  two  sturdy  horses,  so  that  it  faced  left 
ward  almost  at  right  angles  to  its  former 
position. 

We  were  directly  opposite  to  the  scaffold, 
which  hitherto  had  been  out  of  our  range  of 
vision.  Fascinated  with  the  horror  of  the 
sight,  I  gazed  fixedly  at  the  instrument  of 
death,  as  motionless  as  a  statue.  There  was 
a  stir  at  its  base;  and  in  an  instant  Nat 
Turner,  followed  by  Mr.  Lawson,  quickly 
mounted  the  few  steps  to  the  platform,  and 
with  a  commanding  gesture  faced  the  mul 
titude. 


198      Their  Shadows  Before 

1 '  Masters,  may  I  speak  ?  ' ' 

"Gag  him!"  called  a  brutal  voice  from 
the  crowd;  but  the  sheriff  called  for  silence. 
The  shouts  and  jeers  died  into  a  hush,  and 
the  loud,  clear  voice  continued:  — 

"What  is  done  this  day  will  not  alter 
what  will  come  to  pass.  That  which  I  was 
sent  to  do  I  have  done,  but  the  end  is  not 
yet.  Three  times  ten  years  shall  come  to 
pass  before  the  deliverance  shall  be.  In  a 
vision  of  the  future  the  Lord  hath  shown  to 
me,  Nathaniel,  his  prophet,  a  freed  nation 
and  a  river  of  blood!  White  men,  there 
shall  arise  one  of  your  race  in  a  far  land, 
and  blood  shall  be  shed  and  the  bonds  shall 
be  broken.  I  have  done  my  work.  What 
the  Lord  begins  he  shall  surely  finish.  I 
see  battles,  fire,  blood,  —  freedom  ! ' ' 

A  shudder  ran  through  the  crowd  as  he 
spoke.  Involuntarily,  I  raised  my  head  from 
Mr.  Mortimer's  shoulder,  and  glanced  up. 
The  curious  wooden  structure  stood  outlined 
against  the  cloudy  sky ;  and,  as  I  looked,  a 


Their  Shadows  Before      199 

dark  object  swung  in  mid-air  from  the  cross- 
piece  at  the  top. 

Once  more  I  buried  my  face  with  a  shriek 
of  horror.  Mammy  and  Uncle  Isham  were 
praying  audibly. 

Time  had  settled  accounts  with  the  Black 
Prophet ! 


Finale. 

NEARLY  three  decades  have  passed 
since  I  left  my  Southern  home  to 
enter  a  school  in  the  distant  North,  and  the 
years  have  brought  many  changes  to  me  and 
mine.  My  grandparents  lie  in  their  long 
rest  in  the  God's  Acre  at  Winston  Manor, 
which  for  years  has  been  let  to  tenants.  My 
childish  vow  to  Uncle  Isham  was  kept; 
and,  indeed,  all  my  negroes  were  set  free 
when  the  property  came  into  my  possession. 
This  fact  made  me  a  happier  though  almost 
a  dowerless  bride  when  my  tutor  and  guard 
ian  became  my  husband,  more  than  a  score 
of  years  ago. 

Two  fair-haired  girls  with  hazel  eyes  call 
me  " mother  "  ;  and  I  thank  God  in  my  heart 
that  I  have  no  son,  for  there  are  strange 
rumours  abroad  these  days. 

Basil  brought  in  a  paper  yesterday,  con 
taining  a  detailed  account  of  John  Brown's 
raid  at  Harper's  Ferry.  The  cloud  no 


Their  Shadows  Before      201 

larger  than  a  man's  hand  is  darkening  the 
whole  sky. 

"What  does  it  mean?  "  I  asked. 

"A  great  national  struggle,"  he  answered. 
And  then  we  were  both  silent. 

"Basil,"  I  said  at  last,  "do  you  remem 
ber  that  dreadful  day  in  Southampton,  thirty 
years  ago  ? ' ' 

"  When  you  plighted  your  troth  to  me?  " 
he  asked  with  a  smile. 

"Yes,  only  I  did  not  know  that  I  was 
doing  it." 

"Well?" 

"Do  you  remember  what  Nat  Turner  said, 
—  'I  see  battles,  fire,  blood,  freedom  '?" 

"He  was  the  prototype  of  one  who  should 
come  after,"  said  my  husband,  in  a  grave, 
troubled  voice.  "God  only  knows  what  his 
words  presaged ;  but  from  the  visual  range  of 
supreme  self-abnegation,  I  think,  he  recog 
nised  the  meaning  of  those  shadows  that  the 
future  is  said  to  'cast  before. '  : 

"If  it  comes,  God  pity  the  South,'  I  said, 


202       Their  Shadows  Before 

the  tears  blurring  a  vision  of  my  old  home 
that  rose  up  before  me. 

"If  it  comes,  God  pity  us  all,"  said  my 
husband.  "But  the  end  will  be  as  God 
wills,  Penelope." 


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